The Date
by SilverSentinal21
Summary: Oct. 5th 2013, marks Nell's second year at the OSP. Eric finally realizes things must change between them. This causes him to take a huge risk and ask her out on a real date. What follows might ruin them forever, or be the best thing to ever happen to them. Will be a series!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello All! This story would never have been done without the help of three wonderful people. **

**Ambrosia Rush: Thank you for keeping me sane! All of your kind encouragement, advice, and humor kept me out of many a meltdown. Thank you for believing in me and thinking I am capable of humor!**

**Shestarski: You've kept me honest, and made me think about so much writing this. Your unique perspective brought out all of my passion for this project. I can never thank you enough for that!**

**2Distracted: All I can say is thank you for putting up with me for over three years, offering you kindness and experience even though I'm a pain to deal with. There aren't any appropriate words to give you my gratitude.**

The day started out normally enough. Eric came in early because a nasty worm had been attacking his beloved operating system the day before. He had quarantined it in a network of code that formed an impenetrable virtual wall, but it wasn't enough. He needed to know where it came from, how to destroy it, and how to create an antivirus that would stop it from ever affecting his system again. He fired up his console in OPS and put his feet up on his desk. Hetty hadn't arrived yet, so he figured he had at least ten minutes of safety. He looked around his personal kingdom, where he was Lord and Master of all and sighed. Lately, whenever he was here without Nell, it seemed empty and darker. The Lord had gotten used to having a Lady around the place. He fished his glasses out of a pocket of his cargo shorts, took his feet down, and got ready to work. A glance at the clock told him that Nell would be beside him in a half-hour. He sighed and started counting down the minutes.

#

Nell stood in front of her closet holding a sweater in each hand. She liked the olive green one; it was thin enough for the warm weather of LA while still able to ward off the chill in OPS. The AC ran twenty-four hours a day to keep the computers cool, but she hated the cold. In her other hand she held her newest purchase; a coral sweater that she hadn't worn yet. It had been an impulse buy she almost regretted.

It was all Eric's fault! He'd bonded with Detective Kelly from the 5-0 taskforce in Hawaii. The two men shared a love of surfing. When Nell had heard that his very young and beautiful cousin had been a competitive surfer she had said a dozen prayers thanking God the woman hadn't accompanied her team to LA. Afterwards she'd felt guilty, and seriously considered going to confession for the first time in months. After the detectives had returned home Eric had kept in touch with Kelly, and he'd received a beautiful piece of bright orange coral mounted on a block of wood from his new friend.

He had worn such an open and joyous expression on his face she had gasped at its beauty. He'd assumed that she was gasping at the coral and told her it was his favorite color. How could she have known that on her way home she would see a sweater in the exact same color? She stared at the soft piece of cloth, still unsure whether she could wear it. She looked at her clock. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late for work.

She grabbed a pair of chocolate brown corduroy pants and hastily put them on while hopping to her tiny bathroom. She needed to hurry up Eric had been worried about that virus that had tried to sneak past them. If she knew him, he was at the Mission already working away. She frowned as she combed her hair, from the time she was three years old she had always been a morning person. She'd driven her family crazy with her boundless energy and her utter joy at greeting each new day.

"It's Nate's fault!" she hissed as she put on her makeup.

He'd opened her eyes to her feelings for Eric, and now she was painfully aware that her joy didn't come until she walked into OPS and saw his face. He had become her new day. She was so glad that Nate was somewhere in a desert, because ever since the moment of her epiphany she'd wanted to punch him. Her perfectly ordered life was now in shambles.

She walked to her bed and glared at the two sweaters. As much as she despised the messy feelings rapidly driving her crazy, she wanted to be up in OPS sitting next to Eric. He brought out the very best in her, and that made everything else bearable. Before she had time to over-think her clothes, she grabbed the scrap of coral and put it on. At least coral was a good color for her.

#

Hetty entered her parking space and frowned. The tide reports indicated today would be a very good day for surfing in Eric's favorite spot, so she was unpleasantly surprised to see his car sitting in his space without his board on the rack. If Eric was skipping the surf, something was wrong. She went to her office and put her handbag and other essentials away, put the kettle on, and started warming her teapot. While that was happening, she headed up to OPS; she would have no peace of mind until she determined all was well with her tech.

She found him hunched in his chair, which was sure to give him back problems later. A dark scowl clouded his handsome face, his jaw was tight, and his eyes narrowed in anger. Hetty's concerned doubled as she approached him. "You're here early, Mr. Beale. Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to destroy this worm, Hetty," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Has it breached our security?"

His fingers flew over the keys as his eyes followed the information flashing across his screen at a dizzying speed. "No, but I'm not content with just isolating this thing. I want it gone! Unfortunately, I doubt I can find the person who made it. If I could, I'd tell the team so they could go and take him out."

Hetty couldn't help but smile. "Or her, Mr. Beale."

He shook his head, still staring at the screen. "The only two women in the cyber world capable of this are Nell, and Abby. Neither of them would create something like this… oh sh- Shitake Mushrooms!" he stopped himself just in time.

Hetty shook her head, and left the young man to his labors. Nell arrived with a bag from the corner bakery and two iced coffees. Hetty noted her new sweater immediately and smiled. "Good morning, Miss Jones."

Nell altered her course mid-step and moved toward her boss' office. "Good morning, Hetty. How are you this lovely day?"

"I'm doing well, Miss Jones. I do hope you're not thinking of taking those pastries and iced coffees up to OPS," she replied glancing at the younger woman's parcels.

A soft smile touched Nell's lips enhancing the innocence of her face. "Of course not, Hetty. I saw Eric's car in his parking space and his board isn't on his rack. He probably hasn't had breakfast. I'll see if I can get him to eat something. He's unbearable when his blood-sugar is low, and he's already cranky enough about the worm."

"Indeed he is. Please continue, Miss Jones; and may I say that your new sweater is most becoming. The bright intensity of the coral perfectly enhances the deep auburn tones in your hair, as well as your peaches and cream complexion. It is a lovely change from your typical autumn palate."

Nell blushed and began moving toward the kitchenette near the main bullpen. "Thank you, Hetty. I'm just going to get going now."

#

Nell went to the common area to store her purchases in the mini-fridge then skipped up the stairs**.** She heard Eric's frustration before the doors slid open. "Come on, now! Do NOT screw with ME!" he shouted.

"Okay your blood sugar is low, it's time to have some breakfast," she commanded with her hands on her hips.

Eric shot out of his chair and began to drag her to hers. "Thank God you're here! I need you!"

The ankle boots Nell was wearing were a gift from her mother. They had arrived in the mail the week before and she hadn't had a chance to scuff the soles. The smooth floors gave no traction and she slid to the floor pulling Eric down with her. They crashed with a hard thump with Eric landing half on top of her. "Oh Eric!"

"Nell!" he screeched, putting his weight on his forearms to keep off her ribs. "Nell, are you okay? I am so sorry! Are you hurt, did you hit your head?"

She needed to catch her breath before she could answer him. Although Eric had moved off her, he was still close enough to feel his breath on her face and the heat from his body penetrating her sweater. Her heart already racing from the adrenaline rush of the fall beat even faster as the scent of salt, _Irish Spring_, and his own unique body chemistry filled her nose. She felt the blood rushing to her face and she felt like she was burning up with fever.

Taking a deep breath, and mentally cursing Nate in English and Spanish, she finally found her voice. "I'm fine, Eric. Just help me up."

Around the office, the young tech was famous for his clumsiness, but the speed and grace with which he got to his feet and pulled her up was a powerful reminder of the strength he possessed. "I am so sorry, Nell." He put one hand on her shoulder, and his other cupped her face. "Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered, with a raspy shaking voice.

She tried to ignore the sensation of his calloused fingertips on her cheek. She tried to tell herself that his hands were just shaking because of the shock. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't seeing his eyes sparkle as they held hers. She tried to laugh it all off, but she failed. "I'm not that fragile, Eric. Are you okay? You look as white as a sheet."

He shook his head violently, "I manhandle you, nearly crush you, and you're asking me if I'm okay! Are you sure you're not hurt?"

She tried to step back but he moved his hand off her cheek and held on to both her shoulders. "I'm fine!" she insisted, "My backside took the brunt of impact, I've got enough padding back there to avoid injuries."

She saw a strange look come to his face. Before she could try to see what it meant he started rambling. "I am so sorry I tried to drag you like that! It was stupid, wrong, and you could have been hurt. Please forgive me; I know I don't deserve it. I swear I will never do it again. This worm is driving me crazy and I was just so glad you got here-" he trailed off to catch his breath.

"Eric," Nell tried to interject.

He squeezed her shoulders gently, "Hold on let me finish- but it's no excuse for what I did. You can whistle for the team for a month if you want too."

"Eric, I don't need to-" she tried again.

His eyes widened and he cut her off, "Nell, tell me what I have to do to make it up to you," he begged.

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!" she yelled, frustrated that he refused to let her speak.

Eric's mouth hung open and he nearly bit his tongue when he shut it. "I'm sorry," he muttered lowering his eyes to stare at his flip-flops.

Nell shook her head and flopped into her chair. She straightened her leg out hold her foot up. "Look at my shoes, Eric."

A wrinkle appeared on his forehead, and he tilted his head to the side. "Okay-" he replied dragging out the last syllable. "What exactly am I looking for?"

She rolled her eyes. "The soles of my shoes, Eric look at them and tell me what you see."

He pushed his glasses onto his head and leaned back to examine the smooth surface of the sole of the boot. "Nell, I'm still not getting it. What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Nothing! That's the point!" she said emphatically, lowering her foot to the floor. "I got these boots in the mail last week and I didn't scuff them on the sidewalk like I usually do. Smooth floor, plus smooth soles, equals an accident waiting to happen. It wasn't your fault I fell; you didn't even pull me hard. You didn't crush me. Now, as I was saying before, your blood sugar is low. I refuse to spend the day cooped up with you ticked off _**and cranky**_. I can handle one, or the other, but not both. If we don't hurry, Kensi will raid the fridge and steal the iced caramel lattés and the cinnamon sugar scones I bought this morning. We isolated the worm. It can wait ten minutes."

A beaming grin broke out on his face and all of the self-punishment he was inflicting vanished. "Let's go!" he cried, heading for the stairs.

Nell waited a minute before following; she took a deep breath trying to regain some of her composure. She checked her reflection in her monitor and smoothed her hair a bit, making sure she didn't look ruffled. She bit her bottom lip and cursed her fair skin flushed by the physical contact between her and Eric. It might have been accidental, but it had left its mark. She shook herself out of her thoughts and headed for the stairs.

"Kensi isn't here yet. We're safe!" Eric said, bringing their breakfast to the steps.

"Great!" she replied, sitting next to him and hoping that her color had returned to normal.

Suddenly, Hetty appeared out of nowhere, as was her custom. "Mr. Beale, Miss Jones, I heard a rather disturbing crash and a raised voice coming from upstairs. Is everything copasetic?"

Eric opened his mouth to reply, but Nell cut him off. "Everything's fine, Hetty. I'm wearing new boots and I forgot to scuff them, so I slipped."

The tiny older woman turned to examine the shoes. "Oh yes, I see. Well, my dear, you must take care of that at once. Falls can be quite dangerous you know; in fact, they've been one of the most popular methods of assassination throughout history. Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's still a method used today." The young pair stared at her with wide eyes incredulous at what they just heard. Hetty chuckled. "Get some traction on those lovely boots, Miss Jones. We can't afford to lose you. Eric would be lost. When you talk to your mother, tell her I said she has impeccable taste." Before either of them could reply, she was gone again.

Eric dug into the bag and got out the scones. He passed her a napkin and a scone while she set up the iced coffees. "Why did you bring me breakfast, Nell?"

She took a big bite of her scone and a long drink of her coffee. "I knew the worm getting through one of our fire walls would get to you. I thought that if you were angry enough you'd skip surfing, and if you skipped surfing it was a given that you'd skip breakfast. When you skip meals you're a pain to work with!"

"I AM NOT!" he exclaimed, wounded pride filled his voice.

She rolled her eyes, "You really are, Eric."

#

Eric bit into his scone feeling quite dejected, even though his rational side was reminding him that she didn't intend to make him feel bad. The trouble was he had never been very rational when it came to Nell. He remembered the first day he'd walked into OPS and found her sitting at his console. The first thing that he'd thought was that he was dreaming. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Then she had started taking over his domain, and that made him angry. The dream had instantly turned into a nightmare.

Despite his laid-back demeanor and his quirky tastes, he was extremely driven and serious about his work. It wasn't just chance that he'd ended up running the technical support department of the OSP. He'd pushed, struggled, and sacrificed all of his life in order to be in the top echelons of his profession. Then suddenly there was this girl, who didn't appear to be impressed with his accomplishments and either didn't know or didn't care that she was usurping his place on the team. That first week had been devastating; making him fear Hetty had lost her faith in him.

Then they had their breakthrough. The minute she had told him she was a _'Type A, with borderline ADD and control issues with men she admired,' _he knew that she'd change his life. He now relished the fact that she challenged him. She pushed him to keep growing both professionally, and personally. It had come as a shock when he realized that he loved no longer being the _'smartest geek in the room'_. He'd learned to work smarter and to delegate, which made the entire tech staff very happy.

Nell inspired him and had his back; sometimes he was certain she knew what he needed before he did. He soon realized that far from losing faith in him, Hetty had given him a precious gift. He no longer bore the burden of making sure the agents of the OSP had the Intel they needed to stay alive alone. The nightmares of failure he'd lived with for so long didn't plague him as they had before Nell came.

He now saw it had been inevitable that he would fall in love with her. How could he not? She wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for him. He knew that she knew about his feelings for her. He'd been obvious on purpose; she was far too intelligent and far too intuitive to miss it. He on the other hand, was clueless about her feelings.

The last overture he'd made was giving her a book of football trivia. Just thinking about it made him cringe. He should have realized that her dating profile was a fake immediately. If he had thought about it, he would have remembered that she loved girl's nights with Kensi, her favorite movie was _The Lake House_, and she made a habit of rescuing the stray cats around her block. Unfortunately, just the fact that Nell _had_ a dating profile had sent him into a tailspin. He'd nearly broken out into the Hallelujah chorus when she'd told him her sister set it up.

Her reaction every time he tried to reach out for something more confused him. She never told him she wasn't interested, and he knew that if she didn't want his attention she'd have no problems saying so. Yet, she never acknowledged his attention either. At first, he thought that she was just trying to avoid any awkward moments between them that could affect their work or friendship, but then there was Nate. When she'd started flirting with one of his best friends right in front of him he'd felt like he was being 'frelted' again. He'd run back to his console to hide and try to accept that he should give up. But as he sat in the dark with a scowl and his teeth clenched so tightly his jaw ached, it hit him with stunning clarity - Nate was as surprised by her behavior as he was. He resolved to himself that he would gently persist until she specifically told him that she wasn't interested.

He finished his scone and began gathering up the trash. "Thanks for breakfast, Nell. How much do I owe you?"

"This was my treat, Eric. I knew today would be a long day for you, and I wanted to give you a pick-me-up," she replied bumping his shoulder.

His face grew hot as his heart sped up. He hoped that he wouldn't go and say the wrong thing, but she made him tongue-tied. "I'm glad you're here, Rock Star. Without you this long day would take me at least a week."

A tiny smile pulled at her lips. _We've come so far, _she thought to herself. "Well, that's why Hetty hired me. Everyone else here had someone to back them up. You were mostly alone."

Eric's green eyes locked on to hers and held them. "I hope you never decide to leave, because I think Hetty's right. I'd get lost without you," he said softly, his tone holding nothing but seriousness.

#

Nell's heart started pounding in her ears, her throat felt closed, and she could feel her skin breaking out into goose bumps even though the AC wasn't on high yet. The thought of not coming to this beautiful place and not seeing the extraordinary people she called her dear friends and co-workers sent a wave of sadness through her. The thought of not seeing his smile and a trail of sand next to her chair every day made her stomach roll, and suddenly the scones and coffee felt like hot lead.

Impulsively she grabbed his hand to reassure him that there was no reason for worry. "I'm not going _anywhere_, Eric. It took me a very long time to find a place I belong, and I'm not giving it up unless something so bad happens I don't have a choice. I'll just keep praying my family stays safe and healthy."

He squeezed her hand gently and his thumb caressed her knuckles gently. "I will too."

Nell felt the gentle touch like a bolt of lightning shooting straight up her arm. The goose bumps vanished, leaving her feeling warm and slightly light-headed. She smiled and started to stand up. "Well, let's go destroy the worm. The first one to break it gets to whistle for a week."

Eric shot to his feet as if he'd sat on hot pavement. She knew challenging him would make him react and _he _always decided who whistled for the team. It was the only thing he insisted on as the Senior Tech of the OSP. "You know you're going down," he cried racing up the stairs.

"Keep dreaming!" she called back hurrying close behind him.

#

It had been a slow week with no pressing cases. The team spent most of their time doing paperwork. Callen and Sam had to testify in the court martial of three marines they'd busted for murder and for smuggling stolen antiquities from Iraq and Afghanistan. Kensi was playing catch-up with expense reports and an incident report involving a car she'd totaled. Deeks was undercover for the LAPD, something that worried them all, but Hetty was monitoring him.

All of this meant that Eric and Nell had a good deal of time to devote to destroying their cyber enemies. Their fingers rivaled the grace and speed of the most gifted concert pianists as they charged into to virtual world to destroy all foes. In this place, they were warriors as fierce and deadly as any of the agents they worked with.

Hours later, Nell threw up her hands and growled. "Okay, before I was annoyed. I thought I'd leave the anger to you, but now whoever made this thing has officially pissed me off!"

Eric head turned sharply to face his partner. He'd seen her mad before, but Nell rarely used any sort of slang or profanity. She was like Hetty in that way. "We'll get it, Nell. Thanks to you, we only have two more layers of encryption to break and then we can destroy it."

Ire flashed in her bright hazel eyes and her lips pursed together. "This is just taunting! They never intended to infect our main servers. This is a test. If I ever meet the person who did this, I _will_ hurt them! This is not a joke, and whoever did this thinks they're funny."

Eric took a deep breath and stretched out. His arms and back were stiff from sitting in the same position for a long time. "I think we need a break."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and rolled her neck. "You're probably right. I swear I've never wanted to hit another hacker more in my life."

"The sad part is this person isn't even particularly creative. It isn't so much that the code is complicated, it's just…"

"Tedious," Nell sighed.

"Yeah," Eric agreed.

She turned around to look at him and gave him a coy smile. "Would you be taking a break if I wasn't here?"

"Nope," he replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. "What? Are you trying to spare me because you don't think I can handle it?" she asked, only half-joking.

Eric's eyes narrowed. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," he frowned.

Nell blinked. She looked surprised. "I know you respect me, Eric," she whispered.

Before Eric could say anything Kensi charged in. "Nell, let's get lunch at the Greek place."

Nell turned to look at her friend. "I uh… Kensi, we're still working on this worm problem-"

"Nell, go," Eric interjected. "We need a break. We have two more layers of encryption to crack and it's going to take a while."

Nell turned a penetrating gaze on to his face. "Are you going to work on this without me?" Her voice was hard daring him to say the wrong thing.

"No, I have to help Hetty with a conference call and then I'll make some coffee."

She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. "You need to eat. Remember your blood-sugar."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes mother," he snarked, with a grin.

Nell smacked his arm hard. "Don't you dare call me mother!" she shrieked.

"Ouch! Stop it, Nell!" he yelled rolling his chair out of her reach.

Kensi burst into a fit of giggles her male teammates would never have let her lived down, had they heard them. "Eric, you're an idiot."

Embarrassed that they had forgotten she was there, Eric scowled. "Thanks a lot, Kensi. How Deeks puts up with your unique brand of affection I'll never know."

Kensi glared at him. "Watch it!" she growled. "I can hurt you twenty different ways with one hand."

Eric opened his mouth to argue but Nell stepped between them. "Stop it, both of you. This isn't a high school." She turned to Eric. "You, stop being a jerk. I'll bring you back something. What do you want?"

He dug out his wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. "I'd like Spanakopita with a double order of sweet potato fries and some baklava. Buy your lunch, too. My treat."

Nell took his money. "I'll pay for my own thanks."

"But, Nell-"

"No. I bought breakfast as a _treat_. It was a gift; you don't pay back someone for a gift, Eric. Let's go, Kensi. If you're late, Deeks will get worried. We all know about the napkins you two pass every lunch."

Nell walked out with Kensi hot on her heels protesting violently that she was not going to the Greek place because it was her partner's favorite lunch place.

Five minutes later Hetty entered OPS. "The drudgery of red tape never improves with time, Mr. Beale."

Eric gave her a smile. "If anyone's good at cutting through it, it's you, Hetty. Rota will be up in a minute.

#

Hetty gave Eric a gentle pat on the shoulder. Despite his revolting sartorial choices, his unprofessional demeanor, his authority issues, and the fact that he tracked sand everywhere, he was the finest technical operative she'd ever worked with. A fine young man with a bright future ahead of him. "It was nice that Miss Blye took Miss Jones out to lunch today."

He smirked. "Kensi is going crazy because Deeks is undercover without her, so she's stalking him using Nell as a cover, while he pretends not to notice**."**

Hetty chuckled. "That may be true. Still, it was a nice gesture, considering the date."

Eric's eyes went wide. "The date-" he stuttered.

"Is there a problem with the connection to Rota, Mr. Beale?"

"The satellite is finicky because of some sunspots today, we'll be up soon. Hetty, what's special about today?"

She raised her eyebrows over the rim of her glasses in surprise. "Why, Mr. Beale, today marks Miss Jones' second year with us. I thought you of all people would have remembered that. Due to Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna's absence because of their testimony, we agreed to postpone the celebrations. I know they're planning a good old-fashioned pub-crawl next week. I believe the entire team chipped in for a charm bracelet to mark the occasion, Tiffany's I believe, quite lovely."

She watched as his face flushed bright red and he ran his hands through his hair. "Why didn't they tell me!" he exclaimed.

Hetty ignored the young man's outburst. _Youth is wasted on the young, _she thought. "Perhaps they thought that since you and Miss Jones are so close, you would want to mark the occasion privately."

The satellite connection came through and he turned to activate the link. "Rota is on, Hetty." He reached into his drawer for his earplugs and put them in. There were things he didn't need to know.

The meeting didn't last long. When it was over Hetty was obviously angry at the waste of her time and the inefficiency of the powers that be. She turned to Eric and he took out the earplugs. "Have you decided how you're going to mark Miss Jones' time with us?"

He scowled. "How could I have forgotten about this, Hetty? She's my partner, I depend on her, and I can barely remember what it was like here without her! She must think I don't care."

Hearing the dejection in his voice, Hetty was quick to reassure him. "I'm certain nothing is further from the truth, Mr. Beale. Anyone who knows you and has your friendship knows that you care deeply. We have very stressful lives, my dear. Sometimes this just happens."

"Not to you, Hetty."

"It's not too late to make it right. We all know Miss Jones enjoys receiving flowers. You could choose a bouquet to send a specific message."

"You mean that language of flowers thing is real?"

Hetty sighed; she liked to consider herself a modern woman. She kept pace with the rapidly changing world as best she could. However, it pained her to live in such a jaded world, one that was throwing away traditions faster than it made new ones. "It's very real. I believe Miss Jones has studied it quite extensively."

A soft loving smile broke out of his face. "Of course she did. So, how do I learn what I need to know?"

"I think I have just the thing for you, Mr. Beale. Shall we get some tea?"

#

Fifteen minutes, one cup of some delicious mint tea, and one very detailed lecture later, Eric pulled his car in front of the flower shop. He knew exactly what he wanted; he just hoped Nell wouldn't be upset by the message she was about to receive. Walking in, he saw an older gentleman with a kind face, white hair, and electric blue eyes. "Good afternoon, young man. How can I help you today?"

Eric ran his hand over his face, forcing himself to have the courage to go through with this. When he had told Hetty that he couldn't remember what it was like without Nell, he realized he couldn't wait for a sign anymore. He had to ask her to give him a chance. He loved her too much, and life was too short. They might not be field agents, but he'd already faced death for his job, and the risks for them both were high. He could live with it if she rejected him; as long as he had her friendship, he was content. What he could not live with was losing the chance to be more.

"I'd like to order two dozen roses please." _Did my voice really go that high? _he thought as his face went red.

The gentleman just smiled gently. "She must be very special, son."

Eric pulled himself together, and took a deep breath. "She is. I'm just hoping she doesn't throw the flowers at my head."

The gentleman burst out laughing and it took some time for him to calm down. "I'll make you a deal, if she does; you get your money back."

Eric smiled a nervous smile. "If I'm alive afterward, I'll be here."

The gentleman leaned over the counter and spoke in a soft voice. "I'll tell you a secret, son. I've been doing this job for fifty years. I've yet to have a customer come back rejected. You just tell me what you need and we'll make it perfect."

"Well, today is the second anniversary of the day we met, and I forgot. We work for the same company, and when she first got there, we didn't get along very well. Now, if she ever left I honestly think it would kill me." He took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair again. "She's not really keen on the idea of relationships, but I can't hold this in anymore."

"Ah, I see. The young lady's been hurt before," the gentleman replied.

Hearing the words made him tense up with anger**.** "I think so, but she's never come out and said that."

"Well let's go into the back and choose your roses. The flowers out here are too far along for what you need."

They walked into a chilly back room filled with hundreds of flowers barely open and gently misted by fresh water. "This is pretty cool," Eric remarked.

"Thank you, son. My boy designed the watering system as a class project for his engineering classes at Caltech." he replied with a smile beaming with pride. "Now, exactly what are we trying to tell your young lady? Flowers speak with a voice all their own."

"My boss taught me a little about the language of flowers. I want this to show how grateful I am to her for making my life richer. I want her to know that she enchants me every day just by sitting next to me. She needs to know that I'm not just after a fling, that I'd never play around with her heart-" he trailed off hoping that he didn't seem as pathetic and corny as he felt.

The gentleman patted him on the back. "If this girl doesn't appreciate that, she's a foolish girl. There aren't enough young men in the world like you."

Eric shook his head violently. "I'm the last guy on earth that will ever deserve her."

The expression on the older man's face was supportive but his eyes conveyed his doubt of that opinion. "What you need is: some deep pinks for gratitude, light pinks for affection, whites for worthiness, and pure intentions, and lavenders for enchantment. Some ivy will be good greenery and says fidelity, and friendship. Is that what you were thinking of?"

"That sounds perfect. She loves flowers and she'll know what it means," replied Eric in relief.

"I'm going to use these buds. They're open just enough so she'll know what colors they are, but it will take a few days for them to open completely. I get the sense that this will be a bit of a bombshell for her, so she'll need some time to think things over. Besides, watching them open is just more romantic," he said with a wink.

"Okay, that sounds good."

"One more thing, I only do this for my VIP clients but I feel invested in this declaration. I'm going to let you look at some of my vases. Do you want something a bit nicer than plain glass?"

Eric thought for a moment. "Yes, even if she isn't interested in being with me she deserves the best."

The gentleman led him back to the front of the store to a case holding dozens of different vases. "Now, trust me when I say leave the long stems for when you have your first major fight, and I mean the type when you wonder if you're going to make it. For something like this, you need a low vase. Now you know the young lady best, so I'll leave you alone for a few minutes."

Another customer walked in, and Eric turned his attention to the display. To him Nell was feminine without being too fussy. She'd probably prefer something with clean lines and visual interest that wouldn't detract from the flowers. His eyes landed on a crystal low vase. It had large facets that reminded him of lizard scales. Maybe he was seeing wrong, but he thought it was pretty. Before he could even try to catch the gentleman's attention, the older man appeared beside him.

"Ah, the Monique_ Lhuillier Atelier Collection_. I like this one myself. It's simple so the flowers are the focus, but not boring. It isn't too heavy when full, and it isn't easy to knock over. Good choice, son," the gentleman said smiling his approval.

"Thanks. I don't mean to rush you, but I have to be back at work in fifteen minutes."

The gentleman took the vase and walked to his station. As Eric turned to follow him, he noticed that the older man's pants seemed odd. Suddenly the sunlight reflected off a glint of metal where the man's ankle should be. In the space of a heartbeat, the answer was clear to him. This kind man had two prosthetic legs!

Shaking off his surprise, he followed him to the counter. The gentleman was already putting together a beautiful piece of artistry as he worked quickly and methodically. "You've noticed my legs haven't you, son?"

Eric blushed and glued his eyes to the floor. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I should have-"

"Look a man in the eyes when you speak to him," the gentleman gently admonished. "I'm not ashamed of what's obvious; you shouldn't be ashamed for seeing it either."

He raised his eyes and smiled. "You remind me of a very good friend of mine."

The gentleman laughed as he continued cutting the stems of his beautiful roses. "You're friends with a lot of fussy senior citizens then, son?"

"Actually, more then you'd think. If you don't mind my asking, how did it happen?"

"A landmine in Korea. When I left home, I was a newly married eighteen-year-old kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore and an attitude that made these Hip-Hop stars look like baby rabbits. I came home a year later with two stumps and a powerful desire to die."

Eric's breath caught in his chest. He couldn't possibly imagine adjusting to something so horrific so young. "What changed?"

The gentleman smiled. "Before I was shipped home I wrote my wife. I told her to divorce me. I was practically no good to her whole. I sure wouldn't be able to take care of her all broken and useless. When I got to the VA hospital she was there waiting for me."

"That must have made you happy."

"You'd think so, but it didn't. I was furious! I ranted, I raved, and I wanted to kill her with my bare hands. I shouted filth and abuse at her even the worst human being on the planet doesn't deserve, let alone my sweet Ruth. I'm convinced I was entirely insane."

"What happened?" Eric gasped.

The gentleman began placing the last four roses in the bouquet. "She stood there and took it. She didn't say a word. She didn't rage back at me. She didn't plead for me to stop. She didn't shed one tear. She stood in front of me full of peace and serenity and waited. When I had yelled so much I couldn't talk anymore, she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around me. She whispered in my ear that she loved me, and she would never divorce me unless I gave myself to another woman. She said since I was still in no shape to do that, I'd have to wait. She also said, that if I did commit adultery for a divorce, I'd have to get used to the idea of never seeing my son. Then she pressed a snapshot into my hand and kissed me hard on the lips. Those same lips that had done everything in their power to destroy her." As he pushed, the last rose in he wiped a tear from his eye.

"You didn't divorce her, did you?" Eric asked.

"It took me three weeks to look at that snapshot. It took me another six weeks to call her and ask to see my boy. When she came and put him in my arms, she smiled, and in that moment, she gave me the will to live. We celebrated sixty-two years of marriage last week. Let this be a lesson to you, son. If you love enough and want to work it out, then don't let anything stand in your way, even your girl's fears. If she cares about you at all, all she needs is patience and love."

The gentleman put the finished bouquet in a Styrofoam cooler, and pushed it to Eric. "I don't know how to thank you," the young man whispered.

The older man grinned and held out his hand. "Just let me do the flowers for the wedding, son, however long that might take."

For the first time since he'd realized he had fallen for Nell, Eric felt confident that forever might be a possibility if she gave him a chance. He grasped the gentleman's hand in a firm grip. "It's a deal! I have a feeling I'll be a regular customer here for a long time."


	2. Chapter 2

Eric pulled into his parking space and looked around for Nell's car. Kensi couldn't drive during the workday because she wrecked a _Camaro_. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nell's empty parking space. He wanted to get the flowers to her desk before she got back. He had placed the cooler on the floor of his backseat and surrounded it with the dozens of towels that accumulated from his mornings and evenings on the waves. He carefully took it out and used his hip to shut the door.

Hetty had seen the car pull in next to her _Jaguar_ and smiled. She took out her letter opener and walked upstairs to OPS. Eric was up there gently setting the cooler on one of the free tables away from the delicate computers. "I see your trip was successful, Mr. Beale."

Eric grinned. "Yeah it was. Thank you so much for pointing the place out, Hetty. It was a great experience; I'll have to go back there."

"I thought it would be a good experience for you. Do you need some assistance setting up? I don't want to intrude."

"Oh please," he begged. "I thought I could reach in and lift the whole thing out, but my hands don't fit."

"I believe I have the right tool for the job," Hetty replied with a smile. She whipped out the letter opener, and carefully cut down the edges of the cooler, allowing Eric to pull the Styrofoam away and lift the vase off the base of cold packs.

"Thanks, Hetty," he said, slowly walked to Nell's desk with the vase in his hands.

Hetty followed close behind, hoping that the young man's nervous clumsiness wouldn't get the better of him. When he sat the vase down they both breathed a sigh of relief. "Might I see what you chose, Mr. Beale?"

She watched his eyes go wide for a moment, but he nodded and stepped aside to make more room for her. "If she ends up throwing the vase at me I swear I'll clean it all myself, Hetty."

She said nothing as she inspected the arrangement. Her eyes widened as she saw a cluster of white tips in the center, surrounded by lavender tips. The lavender tips, surrounded by bright shades of pale pink, and a ring of deep pink came after that. The ivy edged the vase, appearing to hug the blooms. The effect was lovely, and the symbolism deeply touching. She turned to the young man pretending to focus on the monitors in front of him.

"You've sent Miss Jones quite a powerful message, Mr. Beale," she said in a warm, soft tone that conveyed her concern.

Eric took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The worry that Hetty or the team might disapprove of him pursuing a romantic relationship with Nell had kept him from doing so as much as his fear of her rejection. He wasn't as afraid anymore, but he felt obligated to let Hetty know exactly where he stood. "I know I have; I also know that this could blow up in my face and ruin one of the best friendships I've ever had. It's time, Hetty. I know that it's a risk, and I've been attempting to be subtle about it for a long time. I realize that this isn't about just Nell and me; I know if our dynamic changes it affects the team. All I can say that if she isn't interested, then I'll back off. I'll be her partner, her friend, and nothing will change."

Hetty looked back at the flowers, and sighed. "I believe nothing would change for you, Eric," she said, taking his hand. "Miss Jones is another story."

Eric froze shocked at the gesture. Hetty didn't go around touching people. He gently squeezed the tiny hand automatically. "Nell wouldn't leave because of me. She loves it here far too much. She's stubborn enough that if she really couldn't stand being in the same room with me, she'd just drive me off. I don't think she will; she knows how I feel. I've just never asked her to acknowledge it. She'd be fine pretending it never happened. The worst that will happen is: she throws the vase at me, yells at me for trying to change things, slaps me a couple of times just to get it out of her system, and doesn't speak to me for a month unless it's about work. Eventually, we'd both get over it and move on."

Hetty's lips twitched up at Eric's nonchalance even when describing his _worst-case scenario_. Her voice turned stern when she answered him. "If Miss Jones does any of those things then I overestimated her good sense."

"No, Hetty you didn't! We all have our kryptonite, something that just makes us weak and terrified. For me, it's failing. For her, it's relationships. She admits she has control issues, and this is going to drive her nuts even if she _is_ interested. I know what I'm getting into, or I wouldn't do this. Once she realizes she still has her control things will work out fine. I accept it might not be what I want, but it's my choice."

Eric's easy-going, happy personality, his wit, and his irreverence for life in all its messy complexities, made it easy to miss his hidden depths. Hetty chided herself for doubting his understanding of the potential consequences and the depth of his feelings for their young analyst. "For what little it's worth, I hope that she gives you the answer you want, Eric. There aren't many young women out there these days that I'd think were worthy of you."

#

Eric felt his eyes start to burn and a lump settle in his throat. It wasn't very often Hetty took care of him the way she did the others. He had a comparatively normal life, with a family and a tight-knit group of friends outside the OSP. Not that he didn't consider them _family_, he did. However, he understood that he didn't need as much as the others did. That made moments like this, moments when Hetty showed him how much she cared, even more precious. "Thank you, Hetty," he replied in a scratchy voice. "It means so much more than you know."

"I'm glad," she said with a smile.

"Do you think the others might have a problem if she said yes?" he asked lowering his eyes.

"They'll support you both, one way or the other. I promise."

#

Nell set out Eric's lunch out on the small table in the kitchenette, and then trotted up the steps to get him. "Eric, come and get your lunch!" she called.

"Come here, Nell. I've got a surprise for you."

Her eyebrows shot straight up and she hurried to her desk. "What's all this?" she replied cocking her head to the side.

"Happy anniversary!" he said, motioning to the bouquet.

"Oh Eric!" she cried. "You didn't have to - I mean - I thought you forgot!"

His face turned red. "I did," he admitted, his voice full of shame. "Fortunately, Hetty reminded me, and I thought you deserved better than a key chain this year."

She thought of the sterling silver key chain in her bag of a small electric guitar with _Rock_ _Star _engraved on it and smiled. "I haven't lost my keys once since I've had it. I love my key chain. These must have cost a fortune, Eric! The vase alone is worth two hundred dollars! You shouldn't have been so extravagant. I don't mind that you forgot. You were stressed."

Eric shook his head, smiling a bright, infectious grin. "I _wanted _to do it, Nell. You've been so amazing as a friend and partner. You deserve the very best. Besides, you shouldn't have to treat yourself to getting flowers. You know I can afford it, so let me spoil you a little. You've earned it."

Nell blushed and bit her lip. "Stop bragging, Mr. I-Was-Earning-One-Hundred-Grand-Programming-For-Apple-And-Steve-Jobs-Was-On-My-Speed-Dial-When-I-Was-Sixteen!" she scolded.

Eric rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous! Without that job I wouldn't be here now, and you wouldn't have such pretty flowers."

The cold dread she'd felt earlier returned at the thought of never meeting him, and she hated it. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him in a crushing hug. "I'm glad we met," she whispered, "and thank you for the flowers."

#

Having Nell in his arms hit him with the intensity of a V8 truck. She was warm, close, and quivering with life. Smelling her apple-blossom perfume made him want to bury his face in her neck and leave it there. He wasn't sure how he was stopping himself. _'This must be what a hit of Speed feels like,'_ he thought to himself.

As a surfer, he had experience with a unique drug culture, which most people associated with marijuana and beer. The truth is far grimmer. He and his friends had always been fortunate because they all had something to live for other than the waves, but at this moment, he could completely understand the allure of addiction. In his entire life he'd never felt stronger, or more confident. His heart was racing and he knew if she asked him that he'd swim during a stage five hurricane and live to tell the tale. He was completely addicted. How could he not crave more?

"You're welcome, Nell. I just want to make you happy," he whispered.

She tilted her head up to look into his face. "You do make me happy, Eric."

She pulled away. _'No!' _Eric wanted to roar, but biting down on his tongue stopped it. He wanted her close to him more than he wanted his next breath. He wished she could melt into his skin so he would feel her warmth until the day they died. For a moment, he'd swear that he had never been in more pain in his life.

Nell felt her whole body protest moving away from Eric's warmth. The AC seemed colder than usual, and she felt herself shiver. She crossed her arms across her chest and hoped she looked calmer than she felt. _'If he touches me again I'll die. I'm not built to feel that good,'_ she thought.

"You really need to eat, Eric. We have two layers of encryption plus an antivirus to create."

Later on, Eric would swear he had been about to say, _'You win, Nell.'_ What came out was, "have dinner with me!"

Nell was just about to chide him again when she processed his words. Her eyes went wide; she opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. She bit her lip and tried again. "Could you repeat that please?" she managed to stammer, overwhelmed with surprise.

Eric was certain he didn't have any blood flowing through his veins; it had all turned to ice the moment the words left his mouth. He'd gone from feeling as if he could do anything, to wondering if he was about to drop dead from an aneurysm. His mouth was drier than sandpaper, his skin was clammy, and the room was spinning like the teacup ride at Disneyland. He couldn't take the words back, now that they were out. "Have dinner with me," he repeated in a much firmer tone than he expected.

Nell sat down in her chair not trusting herself to stay on her feet. "That's what I thought you said," she whispered.

#

Her heart metaphorically leaped for joy, from the dopamine saturating her system. Her hands shook and her feet tingled from the adrenaline telling her to run and not stop until she was as far away from him as possible. _'How dare he change things!'_ her logic-brain raged. Her emotional-brain had a vehement response as well. _'Shut Up! Nate already told you I'm in charge here. Or did you forget that, hmmm? Look at the flowers!'_ Nell turned to her flowers, truly looking at them now instead of at the gesture itself. Her eyes moved from the outer edge to the center of the arrangement. She didn't see flowers anymore or a beautiful vase. She saw: Fidelity, Gratitude, Affection, Enchantment, and Worthiness … After that her brain shut down completely. For the first time in her life, Nell Jones _couldn't _think.

#

Eric stood, keeping his eyes on Nell and biting his tongue so he would stay quiet. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, and he knew that he had to be like the flower shop gentleman's wife. If he said the wrong thing now it was game over with no re-start level. When he realized that she wouldn't be talking for a while, he left to get his food. He figured she would process his message easier with him out of the room. As he walked down the stairs, he saw Hetty waiting for him at the bottom.

"Did Miss Jones get the message?"

He nodded. "Just now. My request for a date didn't work out quite the way I planned."

"Did she give you an answer?"

He let out a long breath. "She's processing everything right now. I shocked her."

Hetty nodded acknowledging the point. "Can you guess what the answer might be?"

He shrugged. "I'm still dry. It could go either way; I'd say she's going to go a little crazy very soon. Please don't get mad when she does," he begged.

Hetty sighed. "That will depend on what she does while she's going 'crazy.'"

Knowing that arguing with her would make an unbearably tense situation worse, he surrendered to the inevitable and went to find his lunch.

#

Nell sat in OPS, almost completely illuminated by the glow of monitors. Information sped across them almost faster than a person could keep up with it. She was one of the few people who could, and she could honestly say (without bragging) that she was one of the best. The government paid her to keep up with the information, understand it, and then send it on to the people who needed it, but as she looked at the screens, it meant nothing to her. Minutes passed, and slowly she came out of her stupor. She shook her head, blinked her eyes, and looked around. She was grateful when she saw Eric had left the room. He needed his lunch, and she need time to figure out what to do next.

#

Eric didn't taste his food at all, which was a shame because it was some of his favorite food. Still, he didn't rush. He ate everything in a leisurely manner, even if it all tasted like chalk. He used his free time to torment Kensi on her obsessive need to track Deeks' movements, considering it his duty the absence of Callen and Sam. It helped focus on something else other than his worry about Nell. Finally a half hour had passed and decided to go back up and face whatever Nell had in store for him. He found her still on her side of the desk, staring at her flowers. He couldn't tell if she was angry or sad, her face was blank. His eyes started to burn at the unnatural sight.

#

She knew the moment he came in, even though her eyes never left her flowers. Somehow, she could sense his worry, and fear that he had hurt her. The idea made her heart ache a little. Eric was many things with just as many flaws, but he would never willfully hurt anyone. He was too gentle and kind by nature. "Did you like your lunch?" she asked, her voice barely audible above the other Techs working.

#

Eric sat in his chair beside hers, making sure he didn't encroach on her personal space. He tried to make his tone as normal as possible, even though nothing about this afternoon could be considered normal. "It's one of my favorites," he answered, omitting that he hadn't enjoyed it at all.

"I know," she replied with a faint smile.

Eric felt most of his fear and strain rush out of his body when he saw Nell's blank vacant expression disappear. Hope resurfaced, and his confidence returned. "Yes you do. You know me better than a lot of people, Nell."

He noticed her eyes start around the room, betraying her anxiety. "It's the nature of the job. We can't share it with anyone, even our own families, so we lean on each other. It's perfectly normal."

He could see she wanted to do anything but talk about this but they had too. If they let this go, it would be bad for both of them and could completely destroy their partnership and their friendship. He was not about to let that happen. Still, discretion was the better part of valor, and they weren't alone. "That's true, but you do know that I mean more to it than just our professional r-word, right?" he asked, hoping her patented euphemism would make her feel more comfortable. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had, Nell."

#

His heartfelt assertion of friendship made her look him in the eyes. "Oh you have to know I'm your friend too, Eric!" she pleaded. "You and everyone here are probably my only true friends in LA. I left everyone behind back home, and I didn't have any close friends in college. I was always too busy."

His eyes softened and a warm smile broke out on his lips. "I do know that we're friends. I'm just reminding you."

For a moment the mirth in his voice made her want to laugh. Her next words came out before she even finished thinking them. "I knew you liked me, but I wasn't expecting this."

#

He watched her close her eyes and bite her lip, and he knew she hadn't meant to say that. He took it as a good sign. He could hear Nate's voice in his head saying, _'her guard is down a little but, be careful. Push too hard and you'll make things worse.' _He stretched out in his chair and made his posture more casual. He wanted to be as non-threatening to her as possible. "I've been trying to just come out and say it for a long time."

She turned to stare at him, her eyebrows came together, and her head tilted the way it always did when she questioned something. "Do you know what the flowers you gave me mean, or did you just pick them from a picture you saw?"

It was a reasonable question, but when Nell assumed he wouldn't bother to put thought into a gift for her - assumed he wouldn't know how - it irritated him. "I know what they mean, Nell. I don't just go and spend a lot of money on something and not know what I'm getting. I chose everything myself, and I meant it."

She sat up straighter, and her eyes narrowed. Her cheeks turned pink. "When did you learn flower language, or were you just saving it as a hidden talent?" she snapped.

He always said that his worst flaw wasn't being a 'know-it-all' (he couldn't help that), it was his temper. It ignited quickly and burned hot. It took a tremendous feat of will power, but he managed not to snap back. "I did some research, something I'm good at," he replied, trying to keep calm.

Nell shot to her feet and started pacing. Shock and fear had worn off, and her logic-brain's previous arguments came back into her mind. For a moment, all she wanted was to slap him across the face for starting this mess. "I can't do this here! I refuse to have this conversation here!"

A triumphant grin threatened to break out on to his face but he managed to stop it. She was angry now. If she didn't feel anything for him, she'd tell him and be done with it. Anger meant she had deeper feelings than just friendship, and they ticked her off. "You're right; I don't want to do this here either. Let's go to the boathouse."

She stopped pacing and stared at him incredulously, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated. "Excuse me-" she sputtered.

"Let's go to the boathouse," he repeated, as if they were discussing the weather.

"We have to work!" she answered, her voice harsh.

"There's no new cases, no missions being run, the worm is contained and it's low priority. Hetty won't mind."

A haughty expression graced her face, in the past two years she'd only lost two bets to him. "How much will you bet on that?"

His lips broke into a sly grin. "How much do you have on you minus gas money?"

She rolled her eyes. Even when he infuriated her, he still had to be caring. "One hundred-twenty dollars."

Eric took his wallet from his pocket and pulled out the amount, then stuck out his right hand. "It's a bet!"

Nell got out her money and shook his hand. "You're far too cocky for your own good, Eric. I'm going to enjoy watching Hetty take you down a peg."

He just grinned, took the money and headed downstairs. Nell tripped over her own feet trying to keep up. He found Hetty in the wardrobe, steaming a satin dress. "Hetty, Nell and I need to use the boathouse," he said in a rush.

"Indeed," she replied, not appearing the least bit surprised at the request.

Nell came up behind Eric and grabbed at the money, but he held it over his head out of her reach. "Give it to me, Eric!" she demanded stomping her foot.

"She hasn't said no yet," he happily chirped.

"Is there a problem, Miss Jones?" Hetty asked, sounding bored with their antics already.

"Nothing that can't wait until _after work_!" the younger woman emphatically replied.

Eric scoffed. "We both know that's not true."

"Some of us are actually adults who know how to behave with professionalism!" she hissed.

"And some of us are little temptresses, with Oreos, and non-work related Kaleidoscope searches. You don't see me complaining even though it's usually my life on the line."

#

Hetty watched the pair as the young woman became more and more livid, and the young man became more and more elated. She had to use every bit of self-control she had to keep her expression neutral. "I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Beale, Miss Jones. We have nothing pressing going on now. I suggest you work out your problems before they become a hindrance to your work."

Nell stood gaping like a fish, while Eric pocketed the cash. "You heard the lady, Rock Star," he practically sang as he led her to the boathouse.

Hetty's eyes followed them until they were out of sight. She almost felt sorry for the young woman, who resembled a frightened lamb going to slaughter. However, she had the utmost faith in Eric's judgment. Even if he didn't win her heart this time, their friendship and partnership would remain intact. _'Who knows, he might prevail. If not, there's always next year,'_ she thought. Then she headed to OPS, knowing it wouldn't do to have such a private issue recorded.

#

When they got to the boathouse, Nell threw herself on a couch, wondering how her life had gotten so out-of-control in less than an hour. "Well, you won! Now what?" she growled.

Eric took the chair and put his feet up on an ottoman. "Now, you say what you need to say and we go from there."

"JUST LIKE THAT?" she screamed. "You think things are just going to be okay after what you've done?" she demanded, standing up with her hands on her hips. "I've always known you have an ego, Eric, but this surpasses any arrogance I thought you were capable of."

"This doesn't have to change anything, Nell!" he said, his voice finally betraying his exasperation. "All you have to do is say, 'Eric, I'm not interested, thank you.' I back off, take the flowers back, and get you some yellow roses instead. You're the one acting like _Skynet's _taking over the world."

"YOU'VE CHANGED EVERYTHING!" Nell cried out, dropping to the sofa again. "NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!" Tears started streaking down her face.

Her tears and the distress in her voice tore at his heart. Forget being 'frelted,' or her pulling away from his arms. _'This is what death feels like,'_ he thought. He wanted to hold her and make her pain stop. For a split second, he regretted waking up and living this day. "Nell," he whispered. When she wouldn't look at him, he continued in a louder tone. "Nell, please don't cry. If you don't want me, it's okay! Do you hear me? It's okay! All you have to do is tell me."

#

Her tears drained her anger, and hearing Eric's pleas cut her like a knife. She had hurt him. She hadn't wanted to do that. She never _ever_ wanted to cause anyone pain, but to cause _him_ pain felt like the mortal sin that she'd learned wrath was. Guilt made her tremble, but a new fear took over her. "Why am I so easy to give up, Eric?" she asked, her voice barely comprehensible with its cracking and softness.

Eric didn't need to hear; although Kensi still didn't know it (and never would if he had the choice) he read lips better than she did. Reading lips came automatically, to him. He knelt in front of her, clasping her hands tightly. "I will _never_ give you up!"

She shook her head, and more tears fell. "But you just said-"

He cut her off before she could finish. "I said I would back off pursuing you romantically. I never said I was willing to lose my friend and partner. You'd have to shoot me first. Come on, you're supposed to know what I mean before I do. You're slipping," he said with a soft smile.

#

She looked up into his eyes, and her tears finally stopped. "You completely turn my life upside-down then chide me for not finishing your thoughts. That's not fair!" she whined.

He smiled wider and brushed her hair back off her face. "Where we go from here is up to you, and only you. I knew I was taking a risk and I can handle the consequences, but you do have to tell me, in clear English, Spanish, German, or ASL, what you want, Nell."

She blinked rapidly trying to relieve the terrible burning in her eyes. "I don't speak German, or ASL you know that," she replied in a weak voice.

#

His thumbs began moving across her inner wrists without his consent. The feeling of her delicate skin sent sparks up his arms. If he never got to touch her in any other way but this, he'd be content. "I'm sorry; I never wanted to hurt you, Nell. If I thought this would hurt you, I never would have done it. I admit I thought you might get mad at me, but I never thought you'd be hurt. I'd rather be 'frelted' again then hurt you-."

#

She pulled one of her hands away and pressed a finger to his lips before he could start rambling. "This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault! There's a reason I don't do the r-word, and this is it. I know you need an answer, and you deserve one. Right now, I just need a little time to think. I'll let you know soon, just give me some time to pull myself together," she begged her voice still hoarse, and rough from her crying.

When she took her finger away from his lips, Eric brushed them against her cheek with a touch so brief that they barely felt it. "You take all the time you need," he whispered.

"Thanks. I'm just going to freshen up a bit and calm down. We do have to work today and everyone will be talking enough as it is."

#

A dark, almost dangerous, glare flared in his eyes. "If I hear anyone talking, I'll take care of it."

She stood up slowly and let out a long groan. "Eric, please don't. People will gossip; it's a fact of life. You know perfectly well they've talked about us before and now they'll talk more. If they're not afraid of Kensi and Deeks they're not going to stop for us."

Eric got up off his knees, wincing as they popped. "Nell, trust me, I won't do anything to disrupt how we work together."

Her logic-brain snapped, _'the moron can't see he already has?' _while her emotional-brain just whispered, _'trust him, he wants what's best,'_ she decided to listen to her emotional-brain this time. Logic-brain had failed her today. "Okay, Eric. Do what you think is best. I'll meet you back up in OPS."

#

Nell left the boathouse first, giving Eric a few minutes to compose himself. His heart swirled with a mix of hope and sadness. He had hope, because he now knew she cared about him as more than just a partner and friend. Otherwise, she would have rejected the idea of being a couple instead of asking for time. His sadness came from the fact that he'd underestimated just how badly Nell reacted to his declaration. He realized he'd inadvertently put her on a pedestal after all.

Although he was well aware of her flaws, he always saw her as the epitome of strength. She was never rattled or flustered, even when they confronted the worst disasters. Her composer during the Smallpox scare had been positively 'Vulcan' in his eyes. However, far from resenting her strength, he fed off it greedily like a child. Her strength made the things that tortured him in this life less monstrous. To see her so shattered and fragile had been a terrible shock.

When he exited the boathouse, he saw Hetty waiting for him. "Miss Jones looks slightly worse-for-wear, Mr. Beale. I assume you hadn't expected that."

Eric leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, his skin was pale and a slight sweat had broken out on his brow. "Please help her, Hetty. She needs someone right now. She's hurting, and I did it," he whispered, hoping he wouldn't start crying in front of her.

#

Hetty sighed; she worried about all of her 'children.' Some gave her more things to worry over than others did, but they each had one primary weakness that caused her the most concern. With Eric, it was his fragile heart. He was easily the most sensitive of all the people who worked under her at the OSP. He took everything to heart, his fear of failure and his drive to be the best made each mistake or tragedy like a deadly bullet to his psyche. Dom's disappearance, then his death, had sent the young man into such a severe depression that it took months of counseling and medication to put him back on the right track. Part of the reason she had waited before sending Nate on his new path was because it had taken longer than expected to find a psychologist she was comfortable entrusting with her people. Eric was Dr. Stanley's number one patient. She knew just how damaging it could be for him to start taking responsibility for Nell's scars.

Nell was another matter altogether. The young woman lived inside her head too much, and because of her great intellect, it was extraordinarily hard for her to accept being wrong about something, she accepted as fact. She shielded herself with being 'the smartest person in the room,' finding security in the belief that there was nothing she couldn't eventually understand, and no problem she couldn't solve. Unfortunately, that trait and her youth made people and relationships very difficult for her to handle. Hetty was pleased by the fact that she had grown so much and so quickly in the last two years. Nate had been one thousand percent correct that she'd fill a niche lying empty for far too long. It was a pleasure to give her a safe haven in which to grow. She just wished she could spare the young woman her 'growing pains.'

Turning to Eric she folded her arms and put on her best 'I'm-the-boss' tone. "You didn't hurt her, Eric. All of us have baggage and scars you know that. Miss Jones has tremendous strength. It has always served her well and it will do so again."

Eric pulled away from the wall and nodded. "Take care of her, Hetty. I'll be up in OPS."

Hetty stopped by the makeup room and grabbed her personal kit. If what little she had seen of Nell's face was any indication, she needed some extensive cover up work. Once she'd gathered her supplies, she headed to the ladies' room. She found her charge curled up on the comfortable bench, her face in her hands trembling violently. "Is there any way I can help you, my dear?" she asked softly, placing a gentle hand on Nell's shoulder.

Nell's head jerked up. What little makeup she wore to enhance her pretty features was mixed with tears and streaked across her face. Her skin had a grey cast to it, and her eyes were so bloodshot that it almost appeared that the Sclera themselves actually bled. "I'm fine. I'll be done in a minute." She cringed hearing her voice, sounding like faint shadow of its usual strength.

Hetty put her hands on her hips. "Miss Jones," she said with a warning tone. "Would you say I give my people a fair amount of leeway in this office?"

Nell blinked once at the unexpected question and tilted her head to the side. "You let people get away with things other bosses wouldn't, if that's what you mean."

Hetty nodded. "Have you ever, in the last two years you've been with us, seen me allow _anyone_ to lie to my face."

She swallowed a huge lump in her throat and turned to sit up properly on the bench. Hetty had thought the hard part was over after Eric agreed to give her some time. Now, she wasn't so sure. "I'll be alright, Hetty. Eric and I-"

"I'm fully aware of the situation between you and Mr. Beale, Miss Jones," Hetty replied, interrupting her. "With the bouquet he gave you, it doesn't take much to extrapolate the topic of your conversation. By the looks of you, it's plain to see that it did not go well for either of you."

"You know about the flowers already?" The younger woman wilted against the wall as her voice faded into nothing.

Hetty's felt a slight pricking sensation in her eyes. The sight of the normally confident and bubbly young woman looking so lost and dejected was painful. She'd known as well as Eric that his actions would be a shock to her, but even she had underestimated just how much so. She picked up her case down on the vanity and sat on the bench. She spoke in a tone as warm and gentle as possible. "I suggested that flowers might be appropriate gift to celebrate the start of your third year with us. Eric was quite distressed that he'd forgotten."

"What!" Nell replied, bolting up from the bench. "You knew he was going to do this? Why didn't you warn me?" she asked her voice reaching a high squeak.

The older woman pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd hoped Nell's initial panic had ended when she left the boathouse. She shifted her tone back to the neutral authoritative cadence that diffused most outbursts. "I wasn't aware that receiving a gift from an upstanding young man whom you considered a friend was something that I needed to offer you a warning about."

The response was so typically 'Hetty' that Nell nearly burst out laughing. The older woman had succinctly and with deadly precision had let her know she thought her completely ridiculous. "You know what those flowers mean as well as I do. Did you suggest those to him too?"

Hetty kept her face completely blank at the accusation. "I offered him a cup of mint tea, and a pamphlet on flower language from 1837. The rest of his choices were entirely his own; and before you ask, no I had no idea he would invite you to dinner. I don't believe he planned that. It just happened."

"Oh it, _happened_ all right," she moaned. "This is all Nate's fault!" she snarled.

Nell watched Hetty's eyebrows rise above the top rim of her glasses and toward the fringe of hair falling across her forehead. "I'm not sure I understand how Nate is a factor here. Mr. Beale led me to believe that he was almost sure you were aware that his feelings for you ran deeper than a typical working friendship. Was he mistaken in that opinion?"

Nell's eyes widened. _'He noticed that?'_ logic-brain asked. Emotional-brain, sick of the whole thing, quickly retorted a snarky reply, _'Duh, in case you forgot, we're not too quick on the up-take when it comes to people. You might not like it much, but he is smarter in some ways. Now please tell me this is over! I'm sick of swinging around!' _"I knew he liked me." _'I'm not that obtuse,'_ logic-brain asserted. "I never expected this! I just thought it was a work crush. They happen."

"I see. I still fail to see how Nate fits in."

"I didn't know I had feelings for him!" Nell shouted. She breathed deeply and tried to calm down. "Eric has become my best friend since I've been here; the first I've made since coming to California. He's funny, easy to talk too, and one of the few people in my life I never have to 'dumb-things-down' for…" she looked up at Hetty. "No offense meant," she muttered.

Hetty allowed a small smile to pull at her lips. "None taken, my dear continue."

"Do you know what it means to me to have someone who can follow the way I think, Hetty?" her voice returning to its customary calm. "When I first met Nate, it was like a breath of fresh air. He was smart enough to 'get me' better than most people and the fact he was a shrink didn't hurt because he helped me understand people and myself better. When he told me that if I worked here I would meet people on my level and beyond, I couldn't believe him! Then I met Eric, and he truly 'got me'. He's challenged me, infuriated me, and forced me to do something I've never had to do in my life… keep up with someone else's mind. It's the single most exhilarating thing I've ever experienced. I started jumping out of bed in the morning not because I'm a morning person, but because each day he gave me a new challenge and I _craved_ them. This guy shut down the whole web! I would have never thought to do that." She stopped to take a deep breath then continued. "He made me laugh, and we like most of the same things. Competing with him is fun, because while it sometimes irks him if I win, he's always proud of me. How could he not become my best friend? During the Cozet case, when we saw Kensi shot, he grabbed my hand. Suddenly it occurred to me that I loved him."

She stopped for a moment, returned to the bench, and sat beside Hetty. The older woman patted her on the shoulder. "Go on, my dear."

"To tell the truth, it wasn't so surprising to me. I just mentally categorized it in the same way I loved any of my four brothers, or Nate. Then Nate came to visit, and I just started flirting with him in front of Eric. At the time, I didn't even realize I had done it until he brought it to my attention. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I _wanted_ Eric to be jealous. I realized I _liked_ it when he was jealous over my flowers, or that guy hitting on me at the think-tank. That could only mean that I didn't lump Eric into my brothers or Nate at all. Now this happened and _nothing _can _ever_ go back to the way it was," she said, with a devastated look in her eyes.

"Miss Jones, if you have romantic feelings for Eric why do you want things to remain as they were?"

"Lots of reasons," she replied in a sullen tone.

#

Hetty examined Nell's face like a slide under a microscope. "If that were true, then why all of this fuss? Why not just refuse his invitation and the flowers if that's what you wish?"

"I - I - it's not that simple!" she stammered.

Hetty shrugged. "I don't see what's so complex about the situation, Miss Jones. I know Mr. Beale is sitting up in OPS right now pale and worried to the point of sickness that his actions have hurt you-"

"I told him it wasn't his fault!" Nell cried.

She continued as if there had been no interruption. "Eric assured me when I had seen the flowers that he would cease his attempts to court you immediately if you refused him, and that no adverse effect on your relationship would come from his side. Are you so disturbed by his feelings that you cannot forgive and move on?"

"There's nothing to forgive, but how can things be the same now? What are we both supposed to pretend this never happened, and get over it?" she asked, incredulous at the thought.

"Why not?"

Nell scoffed. "Because it's not possible!" she said, throwing up her hands.

"If it's what you want he'll make it possible."

"I never said that!" she gasped.

Hetty's mouth turned into a wry grin. "Miss Jones, for the past ten minutes you've been asserting quite passionately your desire for things to return to how they were. The _only_ thing stopping that from happening is _you_!" Then she stood and began walking to the door.

#

Nell followed her. "What do you want me to say?" she said reaching for the door handle so Hetty couldn't leave.

She turned to Nell and assumed her most intimidating posture. "I want you to tell Eric the truth. You _owe_ him that after the risk he took putting his heart out there. I want you to tell him what you _want_. You're a grown woman, Miss Jones. Start _acting_ like one again."

Nell's face turned scarlet red. She was mortified and at the very last shred of her dignity. "Tell him the truth! Which one? Should I tell him the truth about how I've had three relationships and _every single one_ ended in a complete disaster. Should I tell him what kind of a girlfriend I am? Should I say I'm completely self-absorbed, cold, and domineering to the point of suffocation? Sure that will be the perfect conversation to have; I'll even give him my ex's phone numbers so he can get the stories first hand." Hetty opened her mouth to speak but Nell continued. "Maybe that's not what you mean. Maybe you think I should tell him that I feel more passion when he smiles at me than I have felt in the arms of _any_ man! Maybe I should tell him my last date was the third day after I started working here. Maybe you think I should say I go home, make my supper, eat it in front of my fish tank, do the dishes, call my family, then play my X-Box until 0300 and wish he was with me with every breath. But, Hetty how can I do that when I know it will end, and it will be MY FAULT?"

#

Hetty had a strong urge to discover the three young men who had damaged Nell so severely and teach them the meaning of true suffering. She wrapped her arms around the fragile girl, heedless of the damage inflicted on her white Chanel pantsuit. "There there, my dear - come now, no more tears. You'll make yourself sick," she whispered.

She continued stroking Nell's hair and cooing comforting nonsense in her ear. She silently berated herself for forgetting how young and delicate she truly was behind the walls of her mind. Finally, Nell calmed down enough to pull away. "Hetty, I've already hurt him so much. I'll hurt him again and worse, it's what I do to men. I don't know what to do," she whispered.

Hetty went to fetch some paper towels and soaked them with cold water. She handed them to Nell and let her begin to clean her face. "What do you want, Nell?" she asked, knowing that she needed to say the words before she could move forward.

Her lips trembled violently, and her breathing became rapid, but somehow she managed to speak. "I want him."

Hetty got more towels and finished wiping the remaining tears, sweat, and makeup covering her face. "He's right here waiting for you, Nell. He's not asking you for a commitment. He's only asking you for dinner. I know you're strong enough to give him that. If you still feel it would be wrong to pursue a romantic relationship when it's over, he'll understand."

Nell took a towel from Hetty and used it to blow her nose. "Do you think so?" she asked in a small-lost voice.

"I know so, Miss Jones," she replied smoothing her short hair down. "I'm rarely wrong about a person's character. Did you know that Eric was the first person I brought in when I was chosen to head the office in San Diego?"

Nell felt the corners of her lips twitch up. "No, I assumed your first pick would be Callen."

"Mr. Callen was still undergoing his FLETC training at that point," Hetty answered with a grimace. "It was a complete waste of time of course, but I was overruled. Leroy had more clout with Ms. David. No, I poached Eric from Steve because the San Diego office's tech support and cyber-crimes unit was in shambles after Leon left. He had it rivaling the team at MCRT within six weeks."

Nell began to glow with pride in her partner's accomplishments. "I don't doubt it. With all due respect to Agent McGee and Miss Sciuto, Eric is the best hacker and programmer I've ever seen. He has a creative ability that nobody else possesses."

"You make him better," Hetty stated, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Nell lowered her eyes. "I try so hard, he makes me better too," she whispered.

Hetty tilted her chin back up with her finger. "You both succeed every day. If you give him and _yourself_ a chance, you both could take that success into the rest of life. Don't squander the opportunity, my dear. Believe me, you _will _run out of time!"

That last sentence caused Nell to go white, as she remembered the image of Eric trapped, and being 'frelted' during his first field assignment . Her emotional-brain began shouting, _'Can you really live with never knowing what could be? What if one of you dies? Do you really want that regret?'_ Surprisingly, her logic-brain answered immediately, _'NO!'_ Nell looked Hetty in the eyes. "I have to try."

A huge smile broke out on Hetty's face. "I'm very proud of you, my dear. Now, I'll not have you go accepting his invitation looking like that. The poor boy will have a stroke."

Nell turned to face the mirror for the first time since she entered the room. "Hetty," she squealed. "My eyes! I look like a Vidiian!"

Hetty chuckled. "Oh hush, Miss Jones. You look like no-such-thing."

She tilted her head to the side, with a dubious expression on her face. "You know what a Vidiian is, Hetty?"

"Why yes, I helped Michael Westmore design a great deal of the alien looks for _Star_ _Trek_,_"_ she answered with a smug grin.

"Of course you did," Nell sighed, wondering why such revelations about her boss still caught her off guard.

Hetty chuckled. "Now sit down, and I'll have you looking as fresh and pretty as the moment you got here this morning."

Nell sat down and resigned herself to being made-up. "Hetty is it terribly immature of me to want my mother?" she asked, embarrassment flooding her voice.

"No, sometimes I want my mother too. You never get too mature for that. When I'm done you can use my cell to call her."

#

Ten minutes later, Eric turned to see the doors to OPS open. He breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Nell enter. The terrible tears were gone, and she looked like she had never been pale or crying at all. He could see she was tired from the tremendous emotional upheaval, and he didn't blame her. He wanted to crawl in bed and sleep for a month himself. Still, he smiled when he saw the brightness he loved so much had returned to her lips and eyes. That confident sparkle that told the world, _'I'm here and you had better take me seriously,'_ was as bright as ever. For the first time since he'd blurted out his botched dinner invitation, he was sure everything would be okay.

"You didn't destroy the worm without me, did you Eric?" she teased.

He made a mental note to find Hetty some exotic new tea to thank her for comforting Nell. He decided to play along with the banter and plastered a wounded look on his face and put his hand over his heart. "I would never do such a thing," he swore.

She smiled and shook her head, always amazed and grateful for his ability to be cheerful. "Good."

Eric smiled back. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Seeing the affection in his eyes, despite what she'd put him through, convinced her of the right decision. "I am now. I talked to Hetty, and then I talked to my mom. It helped."

A soft smile lit up in his eyes. "I'm glad."

"Eric, thank you for the most beautiful flowers I've ever had."

"You're - welcome," he choked out.

"When would you like to pick me up for dinner?"

Later, when he told Sam, Callen, and Deeks, about the day, he never explained how he kept from jumping for joy. The truth was he'd never know. "Is tonight at 1930 okay?" he asked slightly breathless, not wanting to give her time to change her mind.

Nell blushed at his shyness. "That's perfect."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all! I apologize for the massive delay because my old laptop died and then I needed to save money to get a new one. Don't worry, regular updates are returning. For anyone who might be following "The Value of Damaged Goods" it's coming up next folks. All the locations used in this story are real, and I don't advise surfing in the Pacific Ocean without a wetsuit ever, but this is fiction so Eric does something that in real life is not-so-smart.**

By the day's end, Eric and Nell had destroyed the worm and found a signature in the code that could lead to the hacker. They gleefully sent the information to cyber-terror unit of the FBI, and enjoyed the opportunity to boast over getting a lead their colleagues had spent ten years trying to get. Hearts full of triumph and excitement for what their evening could bring, them they quietly left when the day was done to prepare for the night. Hetty had provided another cooler for Nell to transport her precious flowers home. Eric gallantly transported and loaded it into her car.

"See you at 1930," he said, shutting the door.

Nell's eyes went wide. "I forgot the tide comes in at 1800 and the swells are good tonight."

Eric laughed. "You check the tide reports?"

She looked at him with an incredulous expression. "Of course I do! How else will I know where to look if you're ever late in the morning because you got hurt?"

He paused for a moment, stunned that she would take it upon herself. "How long have you been doing that, Nell?"

She shrugged. "You had your surfboard on the wrack my second day. I just started checking. I figured you'd probably be chronically late, and that it'd be part of my job to cover for you."

He laughed but there was a shadow in his eyes. "I guess I wasn't the only one with a low opinion of the situation two years ago."

Nell blushed. "You made me so angry! I couldn't figure out why you hated me so much."

"I DIDN'T!" he cried out in a loud voice, making a few people stop and look. Nell gave him her patented, 'sure-you-didn't' stare. "I didn't," he repeated in a softer voice. "I thought Hetty brought you in because -" he paused and took a deep breath. "I thought after Dom was killed that she didn't trust me anymore. I'm sorry I took it out on you," he whispered.

Seeing the pain in his eyes felt like a knife rammed deep into her gut. She knew that he'd taken the Probationary Agent's death badly. The other Techs had told her that Dom had spent a lot of time in OPS being Eric's 'unofficial assistant.' The two men also had the same common interests and frequently got together outside of work for 'guys night.' "No, Eric that wasn't true at all!" she exclaimed, violently shaking her head.

A bittersweet smile formed on his face. "I know that now. I was just having problems back then. It took some time, but I've healed."

She could tell he was holding something back, but she wasn't about to push him after how she had behaved. "The day my final background check was completed Hetty stopped by my place to tell me I got the job. She also told me something else I think you should know."

"What?"

Nell smiled as assumed Hetty's customary posture. "She said," then she cleared her throat and began to imitate their boss' voice, "Miss Jones, I know you're unaccustomed to having your work challenged. I suggest you get yourself used to the fact that that time in your life is now over. Eric will challenge you every step of the way. Sometimes it will be in the spirit of friendly competition. Other times, he will fight you like a dog for a bone. Whether you prevail, or he does, if you're wise you'll learn to appreciate it."

Eric burst out into loud, raucous laughter. When he couldn't breathe anymore, he bent over and put his hands on his knees. "Oh my God!" he said, as he stood upright again. "Does Hetty know you can do that?"

She felt warmth spread through her and she basked in his laughter, grateful that after everything she could still make him do so. "Probably, but I've never done it anywhere but at home when I'm talking to my family."

He smiled and winked. "Just in case she doesn't, your secret's safe with me."

She giggled and for once didn't feel mortified. When she sobered, she noticed he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Go surfing, Eric. If you leave now, you can make it just as the tide comes in."

His smile vanished and he went stark white. "But-"

She took his hands in hers and spoke in a soothing voice. "Relax; I'm not changing my mind. Why don't you pick me up at 2000? I'm tired, and need a little extra time to get rest and find something to wear."

He breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her hands. "Are you sure it isn't too late for dinner? You might get hungry."

Her chest tightened as she realized he was afraid she'd change her mind. "I'll eat a few chips and some salsa if I get too hungry, but I doubt it. I'm actually a bit queasy now. I'll be fine later though."

Concern flooded his eyes, but after crying and yelling so much before it made sense that she wouldn't want to eat immediately. His stomach had been in knots since yesterday because of the worm, and it had just gotten worse. "Okay, if that's what you want, I'll pick you up at 2000."

Nell nodded and opened the driver's side door but then stopped. "I need to ask you a question and you'd better not laugh!"

Eric's expression turned wary. "I'll promise to try."

"Good enough, it's so ridiculous you might not be able to help it. What should I wear?" she asked with a long groan.

For a moment, Eric did indeed want to laugh. The idea of self-confident, pretty, practical Nell Jones asking him what she should wear on their date was almost ludicrous. Then he remembered it was their date. He was responsible for the arrangements. "You don't have to go crazy or anything, I'm sure anything you'd like would be fine."

"Do you know where you're taking me?" she asked, doubt flashing in her eyes. One Mistletoe kiss and months of harmless flirting aside, she'd never truly allowed herself to think of having a real date with Eric. For one terrifying moment, the possibility occurred to her that he hadn't thought that far ahead either.

"Yeah, it's someplace I've wanted to take you for a long time," he answered without hesitation.

Nell rolled her eyes. "Well is it fancy or a burger shack? Give me something to go on!"

Eric thought for a moment. "It's not fancy but it's not a burger shack. It's somewhere you can make an effort to look nice but you don't have to over-do it."

Nell nodded. "So something I wouldn't wear for work, but not a 'little black dress'."

Eric smiled at the mental image of her all dolled up in such an outfit, then quickly remembered he'd be required to wear a tie if she did. That stopped those thoughts dead. "That sounds right."

"Okay I'll see you later. Have fun and be safe out on the waves," she said, and he noticed the concern in her eyes.

He gave her a jaunty salute. "Always."

Then she got in her car and started the engine. Eric made a motion of buckling a seatbelt. After she complied with the command, she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. He laughed as she pulled away, and then felt his phone vibrating. On the screen appeared a text: _Get down here boy. Surf's up!_ He jumped in his car and headed to his place to pick up his board. Nell was right (as she always was); surfing was just the thing he needed. He didn't want to ruin their night because he was too keyed-up to enjoy it.

Nell really was tired from all of the emotional upheaval. She could've asked Eric to make dinner another night, but she didn't want to take the chance of changing her mind. After her meltdown, it was the least she could do. She pulled into the lot at her apartment building and sighed. Her home wasn't in the safest neighborhood. The building was a former meat packing plant converted into several large bright loft apartments. The less-than-desirable location kept the rent low. In the six months she'd lived there, the only disturbance of any real concern was a robbery at the corner bodega. Fortunately, her landlord also lived in the building. He kept things as secure as possible, and cared about his tenets. She was very happy here.

She went straight to her small dining room table and set the cooler on it. She carefully lifted the vase of roses out of it and placed it in the middle of the table. She stared at them again and anticipation tingled within her spine at the thought of what they would look like when they opened completely. Then she headed straight to her aquarium. The open concept of her loft had made an ideal space for her one hundred fifty gallon reef tank. It had been a gift from her youngest older brother Todd. He was a tank keeper at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, specializing in tropical reef systems. When she decided she simply could not take another mid-western winter and chose to go to college in California, he designed and installed the tank so she would always have company. It was a masterpiece, showing off the natural beauty of the corals and the amazing set of fish that called it home. It was her pride and joy; she could sit in front of it and just stare for hours. She frequently did just that when she was lonely, or the terrors of the world overwhelmed her.

As usual as soon as she approached a group of Green Chromis Fish came to greet her along with a pair of Chinese Zebra Bar fish came to greet her. "Hello my darlings," she cooed. "I know I promised I'd keep you company tonight, but I have a date. It finally happened. The moment I've been dreading. Eric finally asked me out on a date." She paused and stared at her audience. "Yes I'm afraid I didn't take it well. In fact, I took it far worse than I expected. But he was wonderful. He never said one word to make me feel bad, even though I said terrible things to him." A large Coral Angel Fish came out from behind a group a large Ultra Green Anemone.

A pair of brightly colored Clown Fairy Fish began darting around the tank, even coming up to side she was on tapping against the glass, as if they were reproaching her. "I know," she sighed. "It was bad, but let me finish." He was so gentle and sweet; it almost made the whole thing worse. I was having a complete meltdown. Worse than the night after I got drunk and kissed Nate at that party." At this statement one arm of her Blue Linkia Starfish moved. "Yes, it was worse. It's hard to believe," she replied. "Well, let's just say that Hetty finally succeeded in helping me get the attitude adjustment the twins have been saying I need for years." The smallest of her Green Chromis Fish came closer to her. "I'm fine. Really, the whole thing just made me realize that I do want to be with Eric. Hiding from it isn't going to change anything, and if something happened to him or me tomorrow, the chance is gone forever. I just needed to figure out I can't live with that." The Coral Angel Fish went back to his spot. "Yeah I know I should have figured that out sooner. I'm going to run a bath and then I'll need your help getting dressed. Gather everyone out of hiding."

Eric pulled up to the beach just as the swells had reached the perfect height. He grinned and quickly got his board off the rack and headed to the shoreline. In October, the water temperature generally stayed in the low sixties. Normally, he would have thrown on his wetsuit before diving in, but this time he was only going to stay out for three runs. He wanted to give himself plenty of time to get home and change, and he wanted to make sure he accounted for any unexpected traffic. Three runs would be enough to burn off extra adrenaline and focus.

The cold water flowed over him and he started paddling with all his might to reach the wave he wanted. His mind emptied completely, and he was only aware of the powerful waves beneath him and the repetitive movement of his muscles. Abandoning conscious thought, a primal satisfaction spread through him as he moved forward against one of nature's most powerful forces. Again and again, his arms pushed through the water carrying him to his goal. He looked up and saw it: the perfect wave. He sat up, straddling the board, to turn and wait. Within moments, he caught it and rose up on his board with a speedy grace. In the office, his clumsiness was legend, but on the water, he had the power and control of a lithe jungle cat. He sped across the curl of the wave zigging and zagging as it crashed into the shore.

When the wave broke, he jumped off and into the knee-deep water. He let out a joyful cry and jumped as someone caught him in a hug from behind. "Well done, Sonny! That might have been the best run you've made all year!" a joyful rich voice yelled over the crashing surf.

"I was looking for you when I pulled up, Mr. Harting," he replied. "I didn't see you or Mrs. Harting."

"We're having a picnic with Cathy."

Eric's mouth fell open in shock. "Cathy is here! Why didn't she tell me she was coming from San Francisco?"

The older man threw his arm around his shoulders. "Come and ask her yourself, Sonny."

The two men walked down a stretch of beach and toward two women who sat on a blanket. The young woman had strawberry-blond hair, baby-blue eyes, and a sweet smile. She stood up, ran to Eric, gave him a big hug. "Fantastic run! Eric, I have never seen you surf like that!"

He returned the hug and smiled. "Thanks, Cathy. I should be mad at you! How can you not tell me you'd be coming to LA for a visit?"

She shrugged. "I just got laid off; my school district can't pay for art teachers anymore. I decided that I needed a change. Where else could I go? I needed my family."

"You should have called," Eric replied in a stern tone.

"I thought you might not like it," she whispered, while staring at her toes.

"I was looking for you when I pulled up, Mr. Harting," he replied. "I didn't see you or Mrs. Harting."

"We're having a picnic with Cathy."

Eric's mouth fell open in shock. "Cathy is here! Why didn't she tell me she was coming from San Francisco?"

The older man threw his arm around his shoulders. "Come and ask her yourself, Sonny."

The two men walked down a stretch of beach and toward two women who sat on a blanket. The young woman had strawberry-blond hair, baby-blue eyes, and a sweet smile. She stood up, ran to Eric, gave him a big hug. "Fantastic run! Eric, I have never seen you surf like that!"

He returned the hug and smiled. "Thanks, Cathy. I should be mad at you! How can you not tell me you'd be coming to LA for a visit?"

She shrugged. "I just got laid off; my school district can't pay for art teachers anymore. I decided that I needed a change. Where else could I go? I needed my family."

"You should have called," Eric replied in a stern tone.

"I thought you might not like it," she whispered, while staring at her toes.

Eric shook his head. "You're too smart to think something that ridiculous."

Her eyes narrowed. "How many times have we seen each other since Chris' funeral!" she snapped.

"The minute the burial was over you were on a plane. I didn't blame you then, and I don't blame you now. But before you tell me I wasn't there for you remember, you didn't want me there," he said through clenched teeth.

"Stop it both of you!" the older woman ordered. "Eric, you shouldn't be surfing without your wetsuit. Now join us for supper."

His face went red. "I only planned on staying a little while, Mrs. Harting. I - have a date," he muttered.

"A date!" Cathy squealed, throwing her arms around him again. "When did all this happen? I thought you had a crush on a girl you worked with."

"Don't tell me you finally asked her out!" Mr. Harting gasped.

A small grin broke out on his face. "Today is her two year anniversary at the job. I got her some flowers and it just sort of happened."

Mrs. Harting smiled. "How does asking a young lady to dinner, _'just happen_,' dear boy?"

Cathy giggled. "Only _you_ could ask a girl on a date by accident."

"Don't torment him, Cathy." Mr. Harting chided gently.

Eric shrugged. "She's right, it was an accident. It took her a little time to get used to the idea, but I'm hoping things will work out. If not, I have her friendship."

"Wear pants, and a shirt with long sleeves. Don't wear any Hawaiian shirts!" Mr. Harting advised, as he sat down and took his wife in his arms.

Eric glared at him. "You're wearing a Hawaiian shirt right now."

"Dear, when Karl picked me up for our first date he wore his best suit, a tie, and a pair of brand new polished shoes." Mrs. Harting informed him, love pouring out of her eyes as she gazed at her husband.

A panicked expression broke out on the young man's face. "I thought we'd go to James' Beach tonight. Nell knows I'm not going to wear a tie!"

Cathy gave him a pitying look and turned to the couple. "Really you two, scaring him like that isn't nice. Do you want him to lose his nerve and cancel?" Then she directed her attention back to Eric. "Don't wear a tie, it isn't you; but they're right. Wear real pants and a dress shirt. I know you have some funky ones, you and Chris used to buy matching sets."

Eric sighed. "Okay, but no shoes! I'll wear my sandals, but there is no way I'm wearing shoes." He didn't need uncomfortable feet during the most important and difficult first date of his life.

"Bring a gift as well, dear. She'll appreciate it." Mrs. Harting gently commanded.

"I've already given her flowers today. I think she might freak if I spent any more money on presents," he shrugged.

"Come with me!" Cathy said, grabbing his hand and leading him to her car.

"Cathy, I don't have time. I have to get home and change," he moaned.

"Shut up," she demanded slapping him on the arm. "You need a gift and I have just the thing. Does she have long or short hair?"

"Short hair. Why?"

She opened the trunk of her turquoise Bug, and pulled out a box. "My new career is jewelry design. I use sterling silver wire with ten karat gold plating and beach glass for my designs. I also design hair jewelry. A hair clip will be sweet but not too intimate, and I'll let you have one for free."

Eric opened the box and marveled at the array of beautiful jewelry carefully stored inside. "Wow!" he gasped. "Cathy, this is amazing! When did you start all of this?"

She pulled out her sealed tray of hair clips. "About six months ago. There had been rumors about cutbacks in my school district. Chris always said I should start selling the jewelry I make." Tears filled her eyes, and she took a deep breath. "So I decided I'd start building up an inventory. When the lay-offs came, I just had the irresistible urge to come home. I missed Karl and Ellen, and I missed you. I know Chris would be livid that I've pushed you all away. I think I'll get a booth at the pier and see how it goes."

Eric saw the tears fall down her face, her trembling lower lip, and wrapped her in a hug. "He loved you more than anything. There's nothing you could possibly do that could make him stay mad at you. Nothing." He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm just glad you're home."

Her tears fell into his neck. "This is why Chris wanted to name our firstborn after you. He always said, _'Eric or Erika, that's the name of our first baby. Get used to it.'_ He told me that he wanted our baby to live up to the name and be as brave and kind as you."

"Eric or Erika Harting it sounds good. He always was superstitious," Eric whispered.

"No," she replied shaking her head in his shoulder. "No, you were Chris' best friend, his brother. You were going to be the best man, the Godfather; you would have been an amazing influence on our babies." Her tears started falling faster and she pulled away. "Pick your gift. Remember you've been pining over this woman for two years. Don't blow it. If you do, I'll kill you in Chris' place."

"I'm not going to blow it," Eric groaned. He opened the covered tray and chose a clip. "This one is perfect."

Cathy wiped her tears away and a faint smile pulled at her lips. "It's one of my favorites. If she has any taste at all, she'll love it."

Nell was ready to burn her entire closet. Discarded dresses and shoes filled her couch. She scampered between the mirror in her bedroom and the tank. Thus far, her fish were less than impressed with her efforts. "You know you could actually offer some help!" she growled.

Despite the inherent irrationality of her actions, of which she was very well aware, talking to her fish always made her feel better. That's why when her shoal of Green Chromis swam behind a large Yellow Colonial Anemone inspiration suddenly hit and sent her flying to her closet. _'Why didn't I think of that dress sooner?' _she thought. In the very back of her tiny closet was the dress she'd worn to her third cousin's wedding in June. She pulled the garment bag out and prayed she wouldn't have to steam it. She hung the dress on the top of her room divider, and removed the bag. She cheered when not one wrinkle or crease marred the vivid deep pink silk. She slipped it on and stood in front of the mirror. It still fit comfortably. The v-neck showed a bit more skin than she showed at work without being provocative. The darting on the bodice and the band of fabric high on her waist showed her curves off tastefully. The flowing fabric of the skirt, light and airy, kept the dress from feeling formal. The hem landed just above her knees. She turned to look at herself from every angle searching for any flaws. She smiled; she felt pretty. She ran to the tank and twirled around. "What do you all think?" A firestorm of bright colors erupted as the inhabitants of her reef began swimming wildly. "I think this is it." She began clearing the dresses off the couch and hurried to finish getting ready.

Eric stood in front of his closet wrapped in a dark blue towel. "Why do I let them talk me into these things?" he muttered. He grabbed one shirt after another, throwing them on the bed in disgust. The desire to be himself and not blow the one-and-only shot he had to convince Nell that she hadn't made the wrong choice paralyzed him with indecision. After clearing out his closet of every shirt he owned, he turned to his bed, overwhelmed by the dazzling array of colors and patterns. He ran his hands through his wet curly hair and groaned. He was lost. Then most unexpectedly, his SKYPE started chiming. He quickly turned, took the computer in his bedroom out of sleep-mode, and saw the image of his sister fill the screen.

"_Brigg, why are you calling so early?" _he signed, worry making his hands form words in fast, jerky motions.

"_Why are you naked at 1900?"_ she replied, moving her hands with superior grace and wrinkling her nose in disgust.

He tilted his chin to a stubborn angle. _"I asked you first."_

She shrugged. _"I got an A+ on my paper and I wanted to let you know. Now, answer me!"_

"_I'm trying to get ready for a date, Miss Busybody!" _

"A date!"she yelled.

He laughed. _"Stop screaming your dorm will get scared."_

She giggled. _"I can't tell when I'm screaming. When did you ask Nell out?"_

"_Duh!"_ he signed, then his eyes widened. _"How do you know I asked Nell out?"_

"_Duh!"_ she signed, and stuck her tongue at him. _"You've been in love with her forever! We've talked about her every night for the last two years. There's no way you'd ask any other girl out!"_

"_True. Hey, you're a girl…"_

She glared at him and pushed a long strand of platinum blond hair from her face. _"Thanks for noticing!"_ she huffed. _"You really are the genius in this family. Poor me, I'm the dumb one."_

"_Hey! My little sister just aced a paper in a class where the Professor never gives an A+ to anyone. Now stop being a brat and help me!"_

She thought about it a moment. _"Okay, but only because I have no desire to see you ruin this. This is the first girl you've shown any interest in that I actually approve of."_

His face twisted in confusion. _"You've never met Nell!"_

She rolled her eyes. _"You're not the only person in the world who can use a computer to find out information. Now tell me what you need."_

Deciding to lecture his sister about hacking without government sanction later, he outlined his wardrobe problems. _"I let them talk me into this and now I'm lost!"_

"_Stop whining! Karl and Ellen are always right. You can't go on this date looking like a goof. She's going to make sure she looks pretty, you need to look like yourself, but respectful. Now, sort out all of your hideous Hawaiian shirts and put them away."_

"_I'm not whining!"_ his hands snapped. Then he did as she said. As an act of defiance he moved as slowly as possible without making himself late.

"_Now, put away all of your short-sleeved shirts." _

He did it quickly. Even California could get chilly in October at night. _"Now what?"_

An evil smile formed on her lips. _"Now dear brother, that pair of Kakis that I bought you last year that make your backside look amazing?_ _Put them on, I'm tired of looking at your naked self!"_

He went close to the camera on his computer. _"You are the most precocious brat in existence!"_ Then he grabbed the pants from a drawer and headed to his bathroom, the sound of his sister's laughter ringing in his ears.

He came back out dressed in the slacks. _"I have to admit, these things are extremely comfortable for real pants. You did good, Brigg."_

She gave him a smug smile. _"Of course I did. I'm just glad I live in DC and you don't."_

"_Why?"_

Her lips pursed together as if she had eaten a lemon. _"I don't need all my girlfriends begging me to hook them up with you. Now, start modeling for me. If you start dancing to 'I'm too sexy for my shirt,' I'll sign off and make your life a living nightmare." _

He smiled and shook his head. She might be a brat, but she knew him better than anyone and he loved it. He tried on nearly a dozen shirts before his hands started flying in frustration. _"This is ridiculous! She knows me, why is what shirt I wear so important?"_

She glared at him. _"Don't yell at me, Eric! I won't take it."_

He rubbed his eyes and his hands moved in a smoother, gentler rhythm. _"I'm sorry. I'm just terrified; when I asked her, she got extremely upset. Somehow she's giving me a chance and everyone's been telling me, 'don't blow it Eric,' I'm panicking."_

Fire flashed in her emerald green eyes. _"Stop panicking! You are the best guy in the world. You were practically my father, and there is no woman on earth who deserves you!_ _You just be yourself and you're going to win her heart. Now, wear the green one with the stripes. It will make your eyes sparkle. I love you more than anyone or anything. Call me when you get back."_

"_I will, Brigg. I miss you so much."_

Sadness filled her eyes, and she started blinking rapidly to forestall the tears. _"Stop! Don't do that, I'm already homesick." _

He reached out to touch the screen, and then his hands began moving smoothly in a softer way. _"You know that I've never liked you being so far away. I'm too overprotective, and I want to be able to see the men you date."_ He paused, and gave her his best glare. She giggled hysterically and he waited until she finished. _"I am so proud of you! As much as I hate to admit it, you are where you're supposed to be right now. I've got lots of vacation time so this winter break we'll do anything you want. I promise. So you start planning a vacation to bankrupt me, that's an order!"_

A bright smile broke out on her lips, contrasting with the tears hiding in her eyelashes. _"Maybe Nell will come with us."_

"_Nell and I are going extremely slowly with this. If we don't work out, my boss will not be pleased."_ He looked at the clock and sighed. _"I have to go Brigg, I love you."_

"_I love you more. Have fun, and you won't blow it. Oh and wear the shark's tooth I got for you, that way I'm with you too. I'll take care of you. If she breaks your heart, I will destroy her!"_

He laughed. _"Down killer!"_

"_I'm serious! Abby and Tim will help me."_

Eric went pale knowing that Brigg did what she said she would do. _"I should have never asked them to look after you. You just had to go to Georgetown!"_

She flashed the same grin he had when he triumphed over a challenge. _"Stop whining! Call me later, and tell me everything!"_

He raised his eyebrows. _"You want to know *everything*?"_

Her face turned bright red. "You pig!" she shrieked, and ended the connection.

"OF COURSE SOMETHING HAD TO GO WRONG!" Nell shouted at the top of her voice.

She groaned and resisted the urge to slam her head against one of her exposed brick walls. The minute she had put the final finishing touch on her appearance, the air pump in her tank had stopped. She found her phone and savagely pushed the number five. Three rings later, the voice of her brother Todd came over the line. "Nell, what's wrong?"

"My air pump just died and I have a date any minute now. That's what's wrong!" she wailed.

"You have a date? It's been two years! Does the family know about this? He asked, shock filling his voice. "Tell me it isn't with the shrink because, Nell he's a nice guy, but he's not for you. Mom is still talking about the guy on SKYPE. What was his name?"

"Eric!" she snapped. "Todd, listen to me! My fish need your help and this is your job. FOCUS!"

"When did the pump die?" he sighed.

"Five minutes ago!" There was a knock at her door and her eyes went wide. "Todd, he's here! I'm gonna put you on speaker, you have to fix this!"

Eric knocked on the door and tried to keep his hands from shaking. He tugged at the shark's tooth pendent around his throat and pictured Brigg's smile. He reached into his pocket to reassure himself that the small box containing her hair-clip was still there. After what seemed like eons, she opened the door. "Hey, Nell."

"Hey," she gasped. "Come in, I'm having a minor crisis so I hope you didn't make reservations."

Eric followed her in. "Don't worry about it. I've got a friend saving us a table for any time. Nell, what's the crisis?"

"Just a second," she replied. "Todd, tell me what to do now!"

Todd's cheerful, disembodied voice poured through the speakers. "I can't tell you anything until I know what's wrong, Nelly. Hey, Date Guy, who are you?"

Eric gulped. "My name is Eric Beale."

"Todd please, can't this wait? I don't know what is wrong with the pump. All I know is that it stopped, and I can't leave with the tank like this," Nell begged.

"I'm going to conference in the gang! They have to know about this date, and I'm dead if I don't! The tank will be fine for a few hours, but if you really want me to fix it, you need to get the pump out and take it apart. Hang on -" he trailed off.

"Todd, don't you dare-" a click cut her off. She shook her head and turned to Eric. "For the record, Todd is my tormentor. I'm so sorry. My tank system is extremely delicate, and Mr. Ichthyologist is the only person I trust with it. He works for the Shedd Aquarium, supervising their tropical reef exhibits and he set it up for me."

"It's okay, Nell," Eric replied with a sweet smile. "I like your family."

She groaned. "I love my family, but right this minute… I really don't like them."

A bright feminine voice came through the speaker. "Hi, baby! Todd said that your Eric is there to pick you up." Nell felt her ears go hot from embarrassment, and decided to pretend her mother hadn't used that phrase.

"Mama, please tell him to help me so that we can go to dinner!" Nell pleaded.

"Now, Nell your brother loves you very much. I did tell him not to call the boys or Caroline though. How are you, Eric?"

Eric looked to Nell for permission to speak. She nodded her head, resigned to the inevitable. "I'm doing well, Mrs. Jones."

"My daughter works too hard, son," a deep, powerful, masculine voice interjected.

Nell rolled her eyes. "Pot the kettle is talking about you again! Really, daddy, Eric has no say in my workload. You're talking to the wrong person."

"You told me he ran your department, Nell Louise."

Eric didn't think; he just jumped in. "That's true, Mr. Jones. I get my orders from higher up. I don't have the option of turning down assignments. I try my best to make sure it doesn't overwhelm anyone, but Nell is the best! I've never worked so well with anyone ever!" he said in a firm voice.

"Well, at least he appreciates you, Nelly. That's more than I can say for any of the other three jokers!"

Nell sighed. "Todd, please!"

"Okay, Nelly. What are you wearing?"

She glared at the phone. "A dress, why?"

"You need to change."

"What! NO!" she shouted.

A cacophony of voices erupted and Eric took advantage of the confusion to make his way to the tank. He first checked the plugs to make sure nothing was loose. When he saw they were stable, he unplugged the air pump. Nell began pacing the apartment, completely oblivious to his presence as her brother teased her mercilessly. He slipped off his dress shirt and laid it on the couch. He was glad he put on an undershirt. Then he addressed the fish. "Hello, fellow sea creatures," he whispered. "I'm a friend of Nell's and I think I can help you out. I just need to get at the air pump. Don't worry about biting me. I get it. I'm a stranger. I've been bitten before, by bigger fish than you guys."

He reached into the tank while her parents lectured her for cursing. It made him chuckle softly. He gently lifted the air pump and immediately noticed the small hose had become loose. Then he heard Todd yell, "Nell, the tank is fine! With all of the live plants, and the water constantly moving you'd be fine with one air pump down for weeks. I put three in there!"

Eric turned to look at her; she'd stopped pacing and a bewildered expression filled her face. "Why didn't you just tell me that?" she asked in a small voice.

"Who could get a word in edgewise with that, Chicken Little impression? Besides, what do you expect when you get a boyfriend without saying a word to your family?"

Eric nearly dropped the pump and he heard Mrs. Jones' stern voice fill the room. "Todd Aaron Jones, you apologize to your sister and Eric this minute! You have no right to scare her like that and make them late for their date. Nell doesn't owe you an account for every move she makes."

"It's a first date, Todd," Nell whispered.

"I'm sorry, Nelly. I mean it." Todd said his voice genuinely contrite.

"I can fix it, Nell!" Eric called out.

"What!" three voices exclaimed in unison.

"I can fix this."

Todd spoke up while Nell ran up to him. "Buddy, no offense, I get that you want to score points with my sister, but I set up that tank myself and every piece is custom made for that specific tank."

"What were you thinking sticking your hand in there? Suppose I had something venomous or a shark in there? You could have been hurt!" Nell hissed at him, smacking his bare arm.

Eric glanced at the phone, then at Nell. "Who do I answer first?"

"Me!" the brother and sister snapped in unison.

"Eric, dear, you answer Nell first," Mrs. Jones said in a kind and peaceful tone.

"Nell, I'm a surfer, I've brushed up against poison coral, jellyfish, and been bitten by more critters then I can count. You don't have any blowfish or venomous squid in here, so the odds of me ending up in the hospital or dead are non-existent." He walked to the phone. "May I call you Todd?"

"Sure."

"Todd, it's a great system and yes, the pump is custom. But a loose hose is a loose hose. I can fix that. I worked in a pet shop when I was twelve, my first job." He turned to Nell, "You're allergic to latex right?"

"Yes she is. How do you know that, son?"

Nell went pale and Eric grinned. "Company policy, Mr. Jones. All department heads need to be aware of any allergies employees may have. We receive Epi-pens too. Nell, where's your first aid kit?"

"Underneath the bathroom sink," she said, slightly breathless.

He left the room to get the kit, and Nell took the phone off speaker. "Goodbye family, I love you. Todd, I forgive you. Next time I come to Chicago, you're taking me to the most expensive dinner in town, and buying me a new leather jacket!" She spoke as fast as possible trying desperately to put an end to the Jones family comedy hour. Something she hadn't planned on subjecting Eric to at all.

"Have fun, Nell. This boy is a nice boy, please try to relax," her mother pleaded.

"Leave the girl alone, Katie. Nell, I have nothing against this young man, but if he starts drinking you get a cab and go home." Her father warned.

"Daddy, I've never seen him drink more than two beers at a time since I've known him. If he eats a full meal plus dessert, and spaces them an hour apart, there is no way with his height and weight that anything bad would happen. He's going to be thirty-one years old, and he's the kindest man I know, outside of our family. Considering the terrible twins, maybe even inside. The people I work with would _never_ allow him to ask me out if there was the smallest chance anything bad would happen to either of us."

"Now, baby, call us when you get home. Unless of course - I mean - oh dear…"

Todd chucked. "What mom is saying is that she's totally up for some girl-talk unless you end up 'riding the waves' with _Moondoggie_ tonight. In which case it's a clear case of **don't call**."

"Todd!" both women screeched.

"I ought to wash your mouth out boy," his father growled.

"Goodnight all of you! Mama, don't worry, I'll _call _later. Eric isn't like that." With that, Nell hung up and bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"The pump is fixed, and the fish are happy. I tested the water, and everything is fine," Eric said, coming up behind her.

She jumped and turned to face him. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to just come up behind me. That was fast."

Eric smiled and finished buttoning his shirt. "It's okay. The surgical tape will hold for the night. Tomorrow, I'll pick up a new hose and do a permanent repair."

"You never told me you knew about aquariums." Nell said, with a sly look in her eyes.

Eric grinned. "You never told me that you had the most awesome home reef system I've ever seen! I guess it's a good thing we're going to dinner. We can talk about all the things we never get to talk about when we're saving the world."

Nell stared at her partner as if he was a stranger. "I've never seen you in pants or a long-sleeve shirt before. Do you wear contacts when you're not at work?"

Eric shifted from side-to-side, betraying his nerves. "My glasses are readers. I just don't look through the magnifying lenses when I'm not reading. I hate contacts, and the second I take my glasses off at the office, I lose them. Are you disappointed?"

Her eyes slowly took him in from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His golden curls were neat; his nose and cheekbones were slightly sunburned. _'He should use a better sunscreen,'_ she thought to herself. Without his glasses, his eyes looked bigger, brighter, and more vivid. They were truly a lovely shade of green, like the buds on the trees after winter, mixed with flecks of amber and gold. While she loved his glasses, she found herself not thinking of him as a colleague without them. His clothes shocked her. He wore an olive green dress shirt with pinstripes in gold, burnt-orange, and dark purple. He left the first three buttons open, and she smiled, knowing that even the terror of a first date couldn't repress such a colorful laid-back personality. His slacks were the hardest thing to believe. She'd never seen him with his legs completely covered. They fit perfectly, highlighting his trim waist, narrow hips, and long legs, along with every other asset of his long, lean surfer's body. Reluctantly, she pulled her eyes away and sighed in relief when she saw the brown leather sandals on his feet. They might not have been his customary flip-flops, but they were familiar and comforting.

"I'm not disappointed," she said with a soft voice. "You look very grown-up, but you're still you. I think it would make Hetty's year if you wore that to work one day."

Eric smiled and blushed at the praise. "I did the whole, 'business-casual' dressing when Macy ran OSP. Hetty complains, but I wore a suit my first day when she hired me for the San Diego office, and she sent me home. I tried the 'business-casual' thing, and she kept getting my name wrong. She likes bashing what I wear. It's a game. She just wants the people she hires to be who they are. This is just me trying not to screw up."

Nell shook her head. "You look very handsome. Nobody's ever made an effort for me like that without expecting something in return."

Eric's heart beat faster at the sincerity of her words and the admiration in her eyes, but he heard a faint trace of tension in her voice. He took a step closer to her and spoke with a very soft voice. "I just want you to have fun tonight, Nell. Even if you decide you never want to do this again, the only thing I want is for you to have a nice time."

Something about Eric's gentleness made her tremble. All of her life she'd been surrounded by protective men. Her father, her brothers, certain teachers, and now her colleagues and friends, were all men who protected others. All of them were kind and gentle in their own ways, and she would trust each of them with her life. But Eric was different. Something about him touched her more deeply, in a place she still didn't understand. It went beyond protectiveness and affection, transcending into tenderness and perhaps something more intimate.

A wave of nervousness washed over her, and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. In an effort to stop herself from panicking and calling off the date, she tilted her head up, signaling a challenge. "I'm not exactly dressed for work myself, what do you think?"

He didn't need to study her as she had studied him. He'd memorized every detail of how she looked before he approached her tank. At the office, she dressed modestly and comfortably. People all over the OSP teased her about looking years younger than her age. Deeks would chide her about her Oreo consumption, saying, _"Now don't go spoiling your dinner, little one."_ Kensi would sometimes squeal, _"Oh you are too adorable!"_ and pinch her cheeks. Okay, that usually happened at Karaoke night, and Kensi was usually plastered. Sam would occasionally torment them both if they were bickering saying, "Don't make me come in and separate you two;" and of course, Callen would bring back his warning, _"Don't take any candy from strangers,"_ if the mood struck him. It was a family joke, and one they all enjoyed.

Despite the nearly universal fixation on her youth, Eric always saw her as the most beautiful _woman _he knew. Her youthful features highlighted her beauty. It was natural, unpretentious, and utterly radiant. He loved the fact that Nell stayed true to herself. He'd grown up in LA, where everyone wore costumes to present an image. He worked with people who changed their appearances to fit with that day's lie. The fact that Nell always presented herself simply and honestly attracted him more than any short, tight dress or pair of stilettos. He always knew he was looking at the person, not an image.

The deep pink dress was so _her_. Neither flashy nor plain, it let her lovely figure shine without sacrificing any of her quiet modesty. He felt his pulse throbbing gently in his neck and tingling warmth settling at the base of his spine. The color made her skin glow and soften. Her whiskey-colored eyes sparkled and the flecks of gold and chocolate stood out more prominently. Her hair shone like satin, and flipped out like she used to wear it before she cut it. He knew it was a massive cliché but he was one of those men who usually hated makeup. The way she and Kensi wore it made him like it. They didn't use it like wall paint; in fact, Nell didn't look any different than she did at work. The gloss on her lips was a shade deeper than their natural color. She used a bit more mascara than usual and she had lightly lined her eyelids with a toffee colored pencil; he wasn't seeing the makeup more than he was seeing her beautiful face.

He broke out into a huge smile when he saw her shoes. They were a simple pair of nude ballet flats. He remembered Kensi and Nell having a heated debate over the value of 'sexy shoes' one afternoon. While Kensi had no love for heels in general, she was adamant that the right pair was an essential seduction tool. Nell had been just as adamant that if a woman needed high heels to seduce a man then there was something wrong. Finally, after Kensi's tenth example about how heels had helped her land a date, Nell ended the debate. She pulled herself up to her full height and said, _"Kensi, you are a sexy woman when you're sweaty in gym clothes. I happen to know I'm a sexy woman in my flannel pajamas. I'm not going to wreck my feet just to prove to other people how wonderful my backside is. If they can't tell in my two-inch heels or my flats, then they're blind!" _

"What are you smiling about?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You look fantastic, and I like your shoes," he replied.

She blushed, and giggled. "I thought we might end up walking in sand. I wanted to be prepared. We should get going, I'm starving and you probably are too. That low blood-sugar gets you every time," she added with a wink.

He rolled his eyes. "Would you stop with that? Hypoglycemia is a very common condition. That's a pretty locket and earrings. You almost never wear jewelry to the office unless it's your crucifix."

Her right hand automatically went to her throat, where an oval rose-gold locket with an N set with diamonds rested on a lightweight chain. A pair of tiny pearls sat in her earlobes, and her left hand reached up to touch one. "The locket is from 1886. My great-great grandmother was the first Nell Jones. She passed it down to her oldest son who named one of his daughters Nell, and she passed it down to her oldest son, who named my grandmother Nell. She passed it to my father, who gave it to me when I graduated high school. The earrings belonged to my maternal grandmother. She gave them to me when I was twelve."

His face became very serious as he listened to the story. "That's a beautiful piece of history to have, Nell. We don't have things like that in my family. Do you think you'll keep on passing it down?"

Nell nodded. "Oh yes, I don't think I'd ever name any future children Nell. Nor would I expect them to name any of theirs Nell. Still, there are some traditions that are sacred. I'll never give this necklace up until it's time to pass it on. Please can we eat now? You can tell me about the shark's tooth you're wearing in the car."

He chuckled. "Let's get going. Prepare yourself for a boring story."


	4. Chapter 4

**Well folks, here we are! We've made it to the final chapter of The Date, and my second completed and posted story. WOW, what a rush! As I've said before this is the first in a series, but don't expect the second installment "Going Public" soon. I've got one-too-many irons in the fire, right now. Once again I'd like to take the opportunity to thank, Melbelle, Ambrosia Rush, 2Distracted, and Shestarsky for the continued support and encouragement I needed to get this done! **

**Just so you know the locations for this date, and the menu items are accurate! It's important to me to keep the feel of LA in my stories. I do apologize to James' Beach for Bruce. I am certain they'd never hire a guy like him. Just chalk him up to being a convenient plot device. **

"Where are we headed?" Nell asked once they pulled out of her building's parking lot and into traffic.

"Venice," Eric replied, not taking his eyes off the road. "There's a restaurant that's pretty popular with just about everyone, from surfers I know to movie tycoons. The food is fantastic, and I thought you'd like it."

Nell smiled. "Well, I'm hungry enough to eat a horse, and it might be nice to run into a movie star. It hasn't happened to me in the six years I've lived here."

He chuckled. "I make no guarantees. Frankly, I don't know if I could compete with some dreamboat actor. The way you look in that dress, I'm sure a lot of guys there will be looking your way."

"Why, Eric Beale what sort of a girl do you think I am?" she gasped, starting to giggle. "I have never gone out with one man and been brought home by another, and I never will!" she stated.

"That's nice to know. It can get awkward when that happens," he said as he stopped the car at a red light.

She whipped her head around to face him. "Tell me you're joking! That hasn't actually happened to you has it?"

A small frown touched his lips and he wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Once or twice. I haven't actually done this in a while."

Anger burned through her veins at the thought of her partner, her best friend, and something else she still didn't want to admit too, treated with such disrespect. Even on her worst date, she'd always gone home alone. "Eric, look at me," she ordered in a soft voice.

He hesitated, not wanting her pity, but he turned to face her. "It's okay, Nell."

"No! It's _not _okay," she said in a firm tone. "Nobody has the right to treat anyone like that. I admit I'm still not sure if this is a good idea. I'm terrified that we're going to ruin our friendship, our partnership, and everything else, but I would never treat you with such disrespect. You are a good and kind man and I value that above everything else."

The light turned green and Eric returned his attention to the road. "Thank you for the compliment, Nell," he whispered, overwhelmed by her belief in his goodness. Then his voice returned to its normal strength. "You really have to trust me when I say one date isn't going to ruin what we already have. I won't let it, even if it means turning around and taking you home."

Nell turned to look out the window at the sea of cars. "I trust _you._ That's part of the problem," she whispered.

"I don't understand."

A tiny bitter laugh burst from her lips. "You aren't the issue, Eric. The issue is me. It's always been me. I'm not what most people would refer to as, _'experienced.'_ I'm nothing like Kensi, or even Hetty was in her day. I've only had three boyfriends, and only one of them I would consider a serious relationship. Each of them was a complete disaster, and every time it was my fault. I am just not a good person for a relationship. As much as I care about you, and I _care deeply_, I know that I'll end up making a mess of things and hurting you. I don't want that for us. I don't think I can bear it."

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles cramped up. "I don't believe it!" he said, his voice almost stern.

She turned and gave him a faint glare. "I only lie about my job, Eric; and only because of National Security. Anything else is a mortal sin."

Eric smirked. "We'll tackle your Catholic guilt complex some other time. For the record, I never said I thought you were lying."

She rolled her eyes. "You just said you didn't believe me!"

"No I believe you think that what you're saying is the truth. I just think you're wrong."

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "How could you possibly know I'm wrong? Who was in the relationships, you or me?"

Another red light popped up, so he turned to face her. "I know _you_, Nell Jones. Aside from the dating profile incident where I was entirely too jealous to think straight, I know you. You are kind, caring, and you bring happiness to everyone at OSP. After Dom died, the place was half-dead. Deeks helped bring Callen's team back to life and you did the rest. Sure, you have an ego, and believe it or not, I'm not so besotted with you that I think you're perfect. Guess what? _Nobody _is perfect! I've never expected it of anyone and I certainly don't from you. However, there is no way I can believe you are single-handedly responsible for three breakups. You're too good a person, Nell."

The light turned green and Eric returned his focus to the road. Nell sat quietly for the next fifteen minutes her eyes stinging, hoping she wouldn't cry again, and grateful to Eric for letting them sit in silence. Finally, she let out a long sigh. "That might be the kindest thing anyone without the last name Jones has ever said to me."

He couldn't take his eyes off the road but he responded. "If that's true, then there are far too many idiots in your life."

"I'm not used to being liked," she whispered.

He bit his cheek to stop his anger at that statement. He did understand it though; too many people had resented his intelligence and his comparative youthfulness throughout his life. People with brilliant minds rarely fit in with so-called 'ordinary people.' He knew both he and Nell had been fortunate having strong loving families to ground them, and surfing had been an outlet for him where his brain didn't matter. It must have been so much harder for her because her brilliance far surpassed his. "You're extremely well liked now."

"I know," she replied, hoping he could 'hear' the small smile in her voice. "These past two years have brought me happiness I didn't think was possible. I owe it all to Nate, Hetty, the team, and you. I never believed I would find a place I belong. Sometimes I have nightmares that this is all a dream and I'll wake up back in graduate school and Blake…" she stopped abruptly.

"I hope you pinch yourself when you wake up," he replied with a grin. "Was Blake one of the relationships you supposedly ruined all by yourself?" he asked, in a more serious, concerned tone.

Nell started fidgeting in her seat and adjusting her seatbelt. "Are we there yet? I'm so hungry."

Eric pulled into a new lane and started laughing. "Okay, this whole day was worth it just to see you regress to an adorable five-year-old. We'll be there in ten minutes; I promise the food is worth it. For future reference, if you don't want to answer a question that's fine."

She blushed and began fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Isn't there some sort of rule that you can't talk about your ex's on the first date."

He cocked his head to the side and thought about it. "I suppose that's true if you're into pop-psychology in magazines and movies. Truthfully, I'd rather just let this date lead where it will. Besides, we're hackers; we both have issues following rules. If you don't want to talk about it fine, but I'm willing to listen."

She stared at him shaking her head in disbelief. "I have no argument for that logic."

He broke out into a wide grin. "You really hate that, don't you?"

"Yes!" she cried out, and then began to giggle.

True to his word, they pulled up to a restaurant located on the beach. The sign read James' Beach. Eric parked the car and walked around to help Nell. She took his offered hand, stepping out of the car. As he closed the door, his stomach loudly grumbled. He blushed as she burst out laughing. "I never said I wasn't hungry you know!"

"Well, let's not waste time. The food smells great and we're still outside!"

Eric unconsciously put his hand on her lower back and gently guided her to the entrance. As they stepped inside, Nell was relieved that Eric had described the place perfectly. It wasn't formal but she didn't feel out-of-place. Eric noticed her grin. "What is it?"

"White table cloths and board shorts hanging from the ceiling. It's just the sort of place I imagined you taking a woman out on a date," she whispered.

Eric raised his eyebrows. "How often do you think about me on dates?"

She froze in her tracks and he felt a shudder run through her and into his hand. "Eric, I-" she trailed off helplessly as her skin broke out into goose bumps.

A woman in a hostess' uniform came out. "Hey, Eric we've got your table all set up. You picked a good time to come; we just finished a Golden Anniversary. Everything is back to normal. Follow me…"

"Thanks," Eric replied with a smile.

Grateful for the interruption and wanting desperately not to return to the awkward conversation, Nell decided to shift gears. "Have you both been friends for long?"

The woman laughed. "We hardly know each other. He surfs with my husband and saved the idiot's sorry neck from drowning last week. I owe him a favor."

Nell turned to Eric, her eyes wide. "You did what?"

"It's nothing," Eric shrugged. "It could have happened to anyone."

The hostess let out a very unprofessional snort. "Nothing my foot! That idiot of mine plowed over Marty and then got himself tangled in some kelp. I'm surprised the three of you are alive to tell the tale."

"We weren't telling," Eric stated with a glare and a sullen tone.

The hostess shrugged as an apology. "Have fun. Bruce will be here in a minute to get your drink order."

Eric held out a chair for Nell, and then sat down across from her. The hostess left the menus and went back to her station. Nell leaned forward and stared hard at him. "Does Kensi know about this little adventure you two had?"

"Did you notice Deeks limping or bleeding last week?" he retorted.

"No," she replied, after thinking about the past week.

"Then I think it's safe to say Kensi doesn't know a thing. If she did, I'd probably be limping too, just for being there."

Nell frowned. She was a mid-western girl, despite her family's rather nomadic existence growing up. She loved the ocean, but she also considered herself to have a healthy fear of its dangers. "Why do you do it?"

Eric cocked his head to the side. "Why do I surf?"

"Yes. Don't get me wrong, I realize done properly it's probably less dangerous that football or hockey. However, you can't control all the variables and drowning is one of the worse deaths there is."

Eric smiled gently; it warmed his heart that she cared about him enough to ask him the question. "Nell, I've been surfing since the fifth grade. Believe me when I tell you that I was taught by a man who wouldn't have let me - or his grandson - out there without a proper fear of the waves."

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. Deeks once told her he'd been surfing since he was sixteen. She hadn't even considered the possibility that Eric was even more experienced. "Tell me how you learned."

Before Eric could reply, the waiter came to their table. "Good evening, folks. My name is Bruce and I'll be your server this evening. May I have your drink order to start things off?" he asked, turning to Nell.

"I'll have an unsweetened Iced Tea, extra ice, and sugar on the side please."

Bruce nodded, jotting the order down. "Very good, and for you sir?"

"I'll have a large Cranberry Juice with a squeeze of lime please."

"Would you like some Vodka in that sir?"

"Not tonight, thank you."

"Very good, sir. Will you be ordering your appetizers now, or do you want your drinks first?"

Eric glanced at Nell and saw her studying the menu. "We'll have our drinks first."

"I'll get those right to you. Enjoy your evening."

Nell glanced up from her menu. "I don't mind driving back and giving you coffee if you want a drink, Eric."

He smiled and shook his head. "I don't drink on dates unless I'm in a group. Even then, I stick to one beer. I've been on dates where I was glad I kept a clear head. It's a habit I picked up in college."

"That's remarkably responsible compared to the last date I was on," Nell replied grimacing at the memory.

"Bad?"

She sighed. "He got so wasted that he threw up on me while I was getting him into a cab."

Eric's face twisted into utter revulsion. "Ouch! He didn't try to hurt you or anything -" he trailed off slowly, unable to say the words.

She laughed softly. "Quite the contrary. He spent the entire time crying about his ex. I felt bad for him actually. Tell me how you learned to surf," she demanded, returning them to their former conversation.

Eric leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "In third grade, I met my best friend, Christian Harting. He embodied what the true meaning of, _'The All American Boy.'_ I used to call him _Superman_. In fifth grade, a drunk driver killed his parents, so his grandparents moved into our neighborhood. His grandfather was a world champion surfer in the early sixties. Chris had been acting out badly after it happened. His grades went down fast; he was in a fight every day. The only reason they didn't kick him out was because he was grieving. The school wanted him to see a shrink, but Mr. Harting asked them to wait since it was the end of the year, and he would work with him during the summer. If Chris was still a problem come September, then they would get into family counseling immediately."

Bruce returned with the drinks. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, noticing the look of complete attention the young lady was giving her companion. "May I take your orders for your appetizers now?"

"I can't decide between the Wild Mushroom Soup, and the Ahi Tuna Tartare," Nell sighed. "Which would you recommend?"

Before Bruce could answer, Eric spoke. "Get the soup, Nell, you'll love it. I wanted the tuna anyway, so I'll save you some bites."

She smiled and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. "Are you sure?" she asked in a soft voice.

"We share Oreos, don't we?" he asked with a warm grin.

"True." She turned back to Bruce. "I guess I'm having the soup then."

Bruce put on his most charming smile. "You won't regret it. The soup is my personal favorite. The Tuna Tartare for you, sir. I'll be with you shortly."

As soon as Bruce walked away, Eric rolled his eyes. "What a liar he is. The only mushrooms that guy likes are the 'magic' kind."

"How do you know that?" she whispered in shock.

Eric shrugged. "I've seen him around."

Her eyes narrowed. "That isn't much of an answer."

"Look, let's just say not all surfers are like Deeks and I. There's drug use that can go on, especially when surfing is the only thing in your life. Do you want to know how I learned or not?"

She nodded. "Yes, sorry. Go on."

"The last day of school, Mr. Harting picked us up. Chris had a bloody nose and a black eye as usual. I was terrified because if it got much worse, my parents were going to make me stop spending time with him alone. I tried everything an eleven year old could possibly do to help him, but he wouldn't talk to me. I'd follow him around watch him get into fights and all sorts of trouble. I felt helpless. When Mr. Harting didn't take us home right away I had no clue what was about to happen. The next thing I know, we're in Malibu. I'd never been to the surf spots before, my parents couldn't surf and they were afraid if something happened they wouldn't be able to help. Mr. Harting told us to get out of the car; I did, Chris didn't."

Eric took a long pause and sipped at his glass of juice. Nell noticed a shadow creeping into his eyes and grew concerned. "Are you alright, Eric?"

He looked up into her pretty bright eyes and gave her a half-smile. "I'm fine. Anyway, Mr. Harting had finally had enough. He opened the door of the truck and dragged Chris out. He started yelling at him at the top of his lungs. _'Do I have to lose my son, my daughter, and you too? Do you care about your grandmother, me, or Eric and Brigg at all?'_ I nearly passed out. I didn't want to know the answers because I was convinced he didn't care about us at all."

Without thinking, Nell reached for his hand. "What did he say?"

"He just started screaming back. _'I should be dead! I'm only breathing because I was selfish. The laugh's on me because I died when they died; I'm only waiting for my body to catch up!'_ I lost it then and there; I threw back my arm and punched him so hard I knocked out his last loose tooth. I called him every name I could think of in English, Spanish, German, and ASL. I yelled so loud I think they heard me all the way to Steven Spielberg's house. I told him he was the most cruel, vicious, evil boy I knew, and that his parents would be ashamed of him. To this day I don't think I've ever felt that kind of rage before or since."

Nell noticed he'd started squeezing her hand, and she gently squeezed back. "What happened?"

"Not what I was expecting that's for sure," he replied taking another sip of his juice. "He stayed lying on the sand and began sobbing. I'd never seen him cry once, not ever! I got scared, dropped to my knees and started begging him to forgive me. Then he let out this long howl, as if all the pain he'd been carrying around for months just erupted from his body in a never-ending noise. I grabbed on to him and held on as tight as I could, certain he'd be dead when it was over. Mr. Harting wrapped his arms around both of us and pulled us tight into his chest. He kept kissing Chris and telling me it would be alright. I didn't believe it, but the only thing I could do was to hold on to them and pray hard. Finally, Chris just went silent. I heard Mr. Harting whispering to him that we all loved him and that we needed him, but he wouldn't answer. Eventually, I started pleading with him to say something. I was a blubbering mess at that point."

"I think I'd be catatonic!" Nell gasped. "I can't imagine experiencing something like that so young."

Eric smirked. "Do you know what he said to me?"

She shot him a look of complete exasperation. "I'm waiting!"

"He said_, 'It's about time you knocked some sense into me, Eric. What the heck took you so darn long?'_ I pulled back just sputtering like an engine that wouldn't start."

Nell nearly knocked over her tea as she stirred in the sugar. Before she could stop herself, she burst out into tiny gasps of laughter. "Oh - he - didn't - really - say - that!"

"He did, I swear!" Eric confirmed, before breaking into a fit of laughter himself.

Bruce came with a tray holding the food that smelled absolutely heavenly. The hunger they had both forgotten during their conversation returned with a vengeance. "Well, it sounds like you two are having a marvelous time and you aren't even drinking. Let's see if this food can't quiet things down," he said in an overly cheerful slightly oily tone.

"Thank you," Nell said with a narrow smile, the look in her eyes plainly saying 'go away'.

"Enjoy your food," Bruce replied with a sly look in his eyes.

Eric had dug into his food with relish and it made Nell smile. It always touched her how much he just loved being alive. They had that in common, but she tended to be more reserved - perhaps more intellectual - about it. She could be as hyper as he was (sometimes more so), she was just as mischievous (and less scared of Hetty's wrath), but he had none of her quietness. His laughter was loud, when he was really happy his voice grew loud, even his smile was loud. Everything about him shouted to the world, _'I'm alive and I love everything about it!'_ While her love of life stemmed from the thrill of the next challenge, his came from simply being.

She took a bite of her soup and her eyes fluttered shut. It was so good. When they opened again she went hot and cold at the look of awe on his face. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words would come. Thankfully, he was as in tune with her in the moment as he was up in OPS. "I told you, you would love the soup."

She tried to glare at him. He wore that smug grin he had when he was certain he was right about something. Unfortunately, her lips turned upward without her consent. She settled for an amused eye-roll. "Show off, she reproached lightly.

Eric spooned some of his tuna tartare onto the wonton crisps and served two of them to her. "Says the woman who likes to steal my puzzles," he chided, with a larger grin.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and gingerly ate one of the shared appetizers, sighing when her eyes fluttered shut with satisfaction once more. The look on his face when she opened them had become even more intense. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized his eyes had gone from warm and tender, to fiercely burning. She took a long drink of her tea, trying to control the butterflies that had suddenly invaded her bloodstream. "Finish telling me about that day on the beach, Eric." Her voice was soft and raspy, and she struggled to get the words out.

He took a deep breath and started questioning the wisdom of not drinking. His heart pounded in his chest, and every tiny hair on his skin stood straight up. It was as if an electric current had enveloped his body dancing over his skin. He was certain that he would to succumb to sensory overload before the night was over, and he was desperate for anything that could calm him down. Nell was the source of the wave of energy currently tormenting and thrilling him, but it felt overwhelming now. She was so beautiful, and the way she'd held his hand as he told her about one of his most intimate experiences had touched a place inside of his soul that he kept closed off from all except the people he needed the most. The realization terrified him. Being in love was one thing, but _needing_ and _depending_ on her for love seemed out-of-reach. He sternly reminded himself that this was the first step, and it would be a long transition for them both. He was not going to ruin his chance by letting his heart get ahead of things.

He finished his story as they finished their first course, explaining to her how the water had healed him and Chris as children and how it still held that power all these years later. She sighed, and true tenderness and admiration filled her eyes. "I'm glad you have that, Eric. I can barely imagine what it must be like to have something so peaceful that your mind actually rests."

Compassion and understanding filled his face. He knew only too well the torture of an overactive mind. He wasn't nearly as brilliant as she was; he wondered if she had trouble sleeping, too. "Any time you want to come and watch, text me and I'll pick you up. Sometimes just sitting quietly can help."

"You don't think I can learn for myself?" she asked, a faint look of warning in her eyes.

He chuckled and squeezed her hand. "If you want to learn I'll make it happen. I don't have to be the one to teach you if you'd like someone else to do it. Just let me know."

She tilted her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I want you to teach me?"

He glanced at his hand still holding hers, his ears turned bright pink, and he let go. "It's very physical, Nell. I'd have to lie on top of you to get you used to the board on water. Some people find it uncomfortable with people they know."

Her heart rate sped up so fast she could hear it and feel the blood racing through her veins at the idea of them being so close. What scared her the most was how much she wanted that. She managed to drink her tea without shaking and replied, "I'd trust you to take care of me, but I need a little more time to think about it."

Eric put the last morsel of tuna tartare on her plate. "Take all the time you need." Then he smiled. "Okay, I've spilled my guts and now it's your turn. I want to know something about Nell Jones I can't find up in OPS."

A million different stories ran through her mind. Her family travels throughout South America and Southeastern Asia, the terrible twins tormenting and protecting her, her bossy and nosey sister convinced that she was destined to a life of seclusion and eccentricity. When she thought about Eric's story, her heart skipped a beat. Despite his carefree nature and outgoing personality, he like most of the members of the OSP kept the world outside away from his work. He'd drop anecdotes occasionally about his family, but nothing specific. Nothing intimate or too personal. Yet his story about learning to surf was about as intimate as it got. She realized that it wasn't a competition, and he would be happy with anything, but she felt like she owed him more. She knew what she had to do.

"I owe you an explanation for how I acted today. You've been nothing but kind, and a loving friend. I know that you've -" she trailed off and gave him a soft smile. "I know that you've liked me for a while now."

"Well, I'm not exactly smooth and suave like the guys. I'm sure it was painfully obvious," he replied with a self-deprecating laugh.

"The guys are only suave if they're using an alias," Nell stated with a small smirk. "Nothing you ever said or did was as painful as some of the things Deeks has said to Kensi. Anyway, I owe you a real explanation. Not just because you are my friend, but because if this can go anywhere you need to know what you're getting into. Therefore, with respect to all pop-psychology I'm going to break the Cardinal Rule of the first date. I need to tell you about my ex's."

Of course once the painful words left her mouth, Bruce the waiter appeared. "Are we ready to order your entrees now?"

Nell sighed, and tried not to glare at the waiter. She was terrible at talking about such things, only her parents and Nate knew the details of her painful breakups. She was hoping that the public space would help her have some measure of control. "I'll have the grilled salmon with sweet corn risotto, sautéed spinach, grilled tomato, and green herb sauce; please."

"Very good, Miss. And for you sir?"

Eric didn't even bother to look at the menu. "I'll have the jumbo shrimp tacos, with a double side order of truffle fries."

"Very good, sir. I'll get those orders out as quickly as possible, and bring some fresh drinks as well."

"Thank you," they both replied in unison.

After Bruce walked away, Eric leaned over the table a fraction more than usual. "Nell, I'm happy to hear anything you want to say, but don't push yourself. I don't think I could stand to see you so upset again. I'm happy with whatever you want."

Before she could let herself panic, she found herself taking his hand again. "I care about you, Eric. I care so much. If I didn't, I would have given the flowers back and been done with it. I don't know if I can be with anyone, but I know we can't even try until you understand. Maybe I can control myself better in public."

He squeezed her hand gently wishing he could hold her close again. "Okay. I'm listening; I might have a few questions later."

She nodded her head and took a deep breath; then she raised her eyes to his and began. "The first thing you have to know is that my family is fairly conservative. You know I'm a Catholic, and we were very much practicing Catholics. My sister, my brothers and I knew we had to follow our parent's rules and deal with the consequences if we didn't. Drinking under age was not an option, any sort of drugs or cigarettes were not an option, and absolutely no pre-marital sex while living at home. None of us were allowed to date at all until our senior year in high school." She paused and took a final sip of her tea.

"Any rebels?" He asked, with a slight grin.

The corners of her mouth turned up. "My sister snuck out as a freshman to the senior prom. My first set of twin brothers came home falling down drunk every weekend for a month. My parents always stuck to their principles. Wherever we were we always had an extra space, where anyone who rebelled was kept separate until they decided to follow the rules. It was never harsh or long, except with the twins. They were relentless. My parents always said that when we left we could make our own choices and they would accept it; but until then we had to follow their guidelines. It probably sounds terribly cruel and unusual, but it wasn't really. My parents loved us and they never separated us unless we repeated the behavior over and over again. I guess since I'm the baby I just watched the others and decided not to rebel. Miss goody-two-shoes I guess."

Eric gave her an encouraging smile. "Sounds like you were putting your beautiful mind to good use."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll tell my brothers you said so. Anyway, we moved back here permanently when I was twelve so everyone knows Jones' rules in our town. I guess it made me a hot commodity in my senior year. On my eighteenth birthday, six guys asked me on a date. I barely knew any of them except my lab partner, Wilson Wyler. Yes, that is his real name. I thought he was nice, he wasn't the handsomest guy in school, but I wasn't that type. I said yes, and we dated all school year."

"I only went out on one date my entire time in high school," Eric confessed. "I never had time, and I wasn't good with girls at all," he said with a grin.

There was sadness in his eyes that made her want to know more, but she could sense he wasn't ready.

"I envy you," she whispered.

He saw the pain flare up in her eyes and made a mental note to look up whoever this creep was. "What happened?" he asked in his tender voice rubbing his thumb back and forth on her hand.

"He used me to cheat on all of his finals!" she spat out in a venomous tone. "He stole all of my notes and homework assignments, then when he was caught said that I gave them to him. It almost worked and I nearly lost my college acceptance here in California. Fortunately, his sister was madly in love with my brother Matt and backed me up. Later when I asked him why he did that to me he said, 'It was nice in the beginning, Nell but you're an awful girlfriend. I thought I should get something out of it.' Relationship disaster number one."

Outrage flared in his eyes, making the darker flecks of gold stand out, but he tried to keep calm. He wanted so badly to tell her that it was Wilson Wyler's fault her first relationship ended badly, that she had done nothing to deserve such treatment. He also wanted to make the man's life a living hell for daring to hurt the precious woman that had entrenched herself into his life. He took a breath to calm himself a tried to speak. "Nell -"

She squeezed his hand tightly and cut him off. "Please don't, I can probably finish every sentence running through your brain. I understand, but I would rather just get the rest of this over with; please."

Her voice was so soft and her eyes pleaded with him. He didn't want to let her finish, he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how wonderful she was until he'd sunk it so deep into her brain that she couldn't remember anything else. However, this conversation wasn't about what he wanted. If she needed this to give him a chance, then he'd give her this. He reached for her other hand tangling his fingers with hers trying to anchor himself to her. "Whatever you need, Nell, I'll listen."

Heat started flaring up in her blood and stomach when she felt the smooth, slightly calloused skin of his hands. She'd always thought they were the most beautiful pair of hands she'd ever seen. Watching his fingers fly across a key board nearly hypnotized her. Watching them wave around in emphatic gestures while he told a funny story almost made her smile more than the joke made her laugh. Now, feeling them so strong and gentle while holding her small ones was something she could easily start needing, and it equally thrilled and horrified her.

Gathering up her more rational tone, she continued. "I met Blake Matthews in my sophomore year at UCLA. As you can probably imagine Wilson soured me a good deal about dating in school, but I never did anything else so there weren't many options. I hadn't really been looking much, but I don't think you can plan such things."

Bruce came to the table and set down the fresh drinks. "It will just be a few more minutes. They had a bit of an accident in the kitchen, but you'll each get your meal piping hot I promise."

"Thanks," Eric replied in a brusque tone.

Bruce tilted his head with a knowing look on his face but quietly walked away. Nell let go of his hands to fix her tea the way she liked it, and he hated losing their warmth. Still, it made him smile to see the way she meticulously prepared her drink. He knew she'd done the math in her head calculating the exact amount of force needed to dissolve the sugar in the cold liquid. It was one of the many things that made her, _her_, and he adored it. When she was done he realized that she caught him staring, but instead of looking uncomfortable like usual, she had a faint grin on her lips.

"I suppose I should mention I have a mild form of OCD," she said shrugging.

"Sometime you'll have to see me wax my board," he replied with a wink.

She glanced at his hands on the table and wrapped hers in them. It was such a comfort to be touched in even a small way, and it had been so long. "I'd like that," she whispered. "I met Blake in my Trig class. The first day we got into a screaming match on theories and formulas. He was brilliant, but so wrong. It turned into a two-week war, and I finally won. It was euphoric, and he invited me out for coffee. It all happened so fast, we just -" she trailed off, feeling her eyes started to sting. _'NO!'_ her logic-brain shouted, _'Not another tear wasted on him!'_

"Sounds like you and he caught fire, Nell. It happens," he spoke with his most gentle voice, repressing the nearly overwhelming jealousy wanting to consume him.

A devastated expression bloomed on her face and her sparkling eyes went dull. "It was like fire, a deadly, destructive fire that nearly destroyed my life. You know how competitive I am, and as you said in the car, I do have an ego. Blake was like me, _everything_ was a competition that each of us would do anything to win. He'd send me flowers; I'd pay for his coffee for a month. It never ended. I tried to be a gracious loser; the problem was I rarely lost."

Eric felt his throat get tight. "How was that a problem?" he asked in a very professional tone.

She started clenching his hands so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her voice went so low that he automatically focused to read her lips. "He hated it when I bested him. It didn't matter what it was, or what I did. He was bitingly sarcastic at first; I thought it was just humor. He could be very sweet, romantic, and I didn't try to stop it. I _needed_ the challenge, I still do. We were together for two years, and it just kept getting fiercer between us. I'd do anything I could to control it and I was determined to fix the problems. Finally, about three months before graduation, I realized it was never going to change. We were out with some friends at dinner, discussing something in class when he turned to me and said, _'would you just shut your mouth you stupid, domineering, workaholic, controlling, frigid, b-'_ well you get the idea."

Rage poured through him, and he briefly wondered if the feeling was anything close to what Callen felt when he heard the name Comescu. "Do not tell me that was your fault," he said when he felt he was calm enough.

"Do you think I was an angel? Do you think that I usually just put up with it? Let me tell you something: I pushed him just as hard. I _encouraged_ every battle we had, and I never once gave an inch to him. Don't start thinking that I was just a scared little girl, I wasn't," she replied, her voice hard and her eyes sharp.

Eric sat up straight, and his eyes burned into hers. "I have no doubt that you were every bit as stubborn and exasperating as you say you were. God knows you drive me nuts at times. I told you before I already know you're not perfect. Let me ask you something: did you say things like that to him? Did you make him feel like crap on the rare times when you lost your _'battles'_?"

She tried pull her hands away, but he tangled their fingers and gripped them. She glared at him, but he only ran his thumbs over her skin. The fight drained out of her, and she just shook her head, unable to speak. Eric knew that she could nod all she wanted, but it wouldn't matter unless she _said_ it aloud. He gently squeezed her hands again to prompt her, and she sighed. "No, okay I never did or said anything to him like that. However, I didn't _care _that it upset him that I always had to be right. I didn't _care_ that I put school and work before him. How is that any more right than what he did with me?"

His face softened again, and he gave her a half-smile. "It isn't, Nell. Two wrongs don't make a right, but his wrong was worse than yours."

She looked into his eyes and saw none of the emotions she expected. No pity, judgment, or condescension. He only accepted her, and while she was sure he was angry about her ex-boyfriend's treatment of her, he didn't try to turn her into anything she wasn't. She gave him a tiny smile of appreciation and ran her thumb along the back of his hand. "I know," she whispered.

They sat in silence for a moment, letting the intense emotions settle down. Bruce, for the first time during the whole evening, had impeccable timing and appeared with the food. "I'm sorry folks you'll have to let go now," he said, glancing at their entwined hands resting in the center of the table.

They brought their hands back to their own sides of the table and enjoyed the aromas of their meal.

"Thanks," Eric began.

"This looks great," Nell finished seamlessly, sharing a grin with Eric.

Bruce gave Eric a sly thumbs up and left them to eat in peace. Eric began by arranging the condiments on his tacos, and then he placed a small helping of truffle French fries on a plate for Nell. "You'll thank me, these are to die for."

She took a bite of her salmon and smiled. "Everything I've put in my mouth is amazing. This is by far the best food I've ever had on a date."

"I'm glad. Going on a date is hard enough without choking down bad food too," he said with a beaming smile.

They ate quietly, enjoying the delicious flavors and the relaxing atmosphere. When they finished the last of the addictive fries, Nell spoke. "Only one more real ex to tell you about might as well be done with it."

Eric reached for her hand and gave her his complete attention. "I'm listening."

She enjoyed the feeling of her hand in his for a moment before she spoke. "Number three was actually a friend to both Blake and me. After the meltdown, he asked me out. I was an idiot. I had something to prove, and I wasn't about to let anyone think that I was going to sit home feeling sorry for myself. So, for six weeks, I went out with him. Then he had one too many drinks and informed me that he usually scored on the third date and was tired of waiting. I told him that was too bad because I wasn't going to sleep with him. He groped me; I broke his nose, end of story. I only consider him an ex because it lasted more than a month."

His eyes darkened. "You're not telling me this guy's name?" he asked, his tone overly sweet.

A sly smile appeared on her lips as she shook her head no. "Eric, if I tell you his name, you'll look it up and tell Sam and Callen. I already broke his nose, I have four brothers, I know how to take care of myself, and it happened well over two years ago. He does not need put into the hospital for one stupid half-drunk mistake."

"It's not just a stupid mistake to treat a woman like that," Eric softly growled.

Her lips turned into a gentler smile, and she squeezed his hand. "You're right, but nobody should be condemned for life by one serious sin. I had no business being with him at all; he'd just broken up with someone and so had I. We were both out for revenge and there were other circumstances I didn't find out until later."

"I can't believe you're defending this guy!" he snapped.

Annoyed that he didn't seem to want to listen to her, she pulled her hand out of his. "I'm _not_ defending what he did! Maybe if you'd let me finish you'll understand!"

"Fine!" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

She took a deep breath to control her temper and slowly let it out. "What I didn't know was that he was a functioning Schizophrenic. Unfortunately, he had a new doctor's care and given a different drug program that didn't work! He almost killed himself a week later. That's why I won't tell you his name. He doesn't deserve it! Yes, what he did to me was wrong, but he would have never even asked me out if he hadn't been given the wrong drugs!"

All the rage left, and shame began burning inside of him. "Is he okay now?" he whispered.

Nell felt her blood cool and laid her hand close to his again. "Yeah, thankfully he was able to get into the school counseling program and on his old drug regimen. After I heard about it, I was so shaken up that I got into the program myself. I was homesick, depressed, and seriously doubting my judgment. That's how I know Nate!"

Confusion filled his face, but then the answer dawned on him. "Nate was your therapist! He told me he'd fill in for the campus psychiatrist on weekends."

She took the last sip of her tea. "Only for about eight weeks. I recovered quickly. He put me in touch with Hetty, and that led me to y-" her face turned bright red. "OSP," she weakly finished. "So there it is, the short disastrous dating history of Nell Louise Jones, of course omitting a dozen or so first dates that never went anywhere."

The affection, tenderness, and - most importantly - intense friendship he felt for her washed over him like a wave. He slid his hand closer to hers and let his index finger gently tickle hers. A mischievous flame danced in his eyes, but he waited for her to choose to take his hand again. "I know that telling me all of that was very hard for you," he said gently, his voice completely serious. "I want you to know that even if you decide that this is a first date that is going nowhere, I am honored and humbled that you even gave me the chance."

She could feel her face turning red even as her eyes began to sting. "I've been terrified of this ever since Nate came back and woke me up about being attracted to you; I am going to make his life miserable when he comes back. However, it wasn't until this moment that I figured out you are too good for me." Her voice was raw, as if she had swallowed a fist full of sand.

"No!" he spoke with such force that she nearly jumped in her seat. "Do you think I don't have relationship disasters? We'd be sitting at this table for a week if I tried to get through them all!"

Her eyes went wide, and she started swirling the ice in her glass with the straw. "Have you had that many relationships?" she asked, her voice filling with dread.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I've only had four real girlfriends, but we tended to break-up and then get back together. I have one engagement to my name. Obviously, it didn't work out. You're the first woman that I've really wanted to be with in a very long time."

Unable and unwilling to think about an ex-fiancée, Nell said the first thing that came to her mind. "I heard you were very interested in Abby Sciuto."

Eric smiled at the name. "Abby is seriously one of the most awesome people on the planet, no question. Yes, I was attracted to her, but I just wanted a date with her. I guess I just wanted to be able to say I was cool enough to go out with THE Abby! She'd never leave DC, I'd never leave LA, and her soul mate is Tim McGee, who is a great friend of mine. That wasn't going anywhere, and we both knew it. Besides, she got kidnapped by a serial killer. That alone ruined any possibilities."

Nell had to smile at his affection for arguably most famous forensic scientist for a Federal agency. Her thoughts turned to his other confession and she sobered. "I want to hear all about your past, Eric and not just as your friend. I think today has just been so topsy-turvy and emotional that we both need a break for now." She reached for his hand and ran her thumb gently over the delicate skin of his inner-wrist. "I - I - I do want to try this. Just promise me that we can go slowly, and remember that I don't really know how to do this right. I've never put anyone that wasn't my family before myself. I never had to before."

"Hey," he whispered tenderly. "We can go as slow as you want. I don't expect anything; the pleasure of your company without tracking down murderers or terrorists is more than enough."

A shy smile tugged at her lips. "I think you could make me happy. I'm just not sure I won't make you unhappy."

He gave her a reassuring grin. "Don't let the board shorts and video gaming in OPS fool you, Nell. I'm a grown man and perfectly capable of deciding what makes me happy."

Her shining eyes grew very serious and met his straight on. "I've never thought of you as a boy, Eric not once."

His fingers glided across the silky skin of her palm. "I've never thought of you as a little girl."

"Hey folks are you ready for dessert?" Bruce chirped, obliterating the tender moment.

"Can you give us just a second?" Nell asked.

"Sure," he replied and skulked away again.

"We can have dessert here or, we can hit my favorite gelato spot and go for a walk on the beach." Eric said, shrugging his shoulders.

A knowing grin broke out on her lips. "You want to hear the waves."

He just nodded, looking irresistible with an angelic smile. Suddenly, Bruce appeared again. "Have you decided yet, or should I bring you coffee?"

Nell stood up. "I'm just going to freshen up, but I think I'm tired of sitting and a walk is in order after all that delicious food." She gave Eric a wink as he stood when she did.

His heart beat faster as he watched her glide away so unlike the driven stride she used at work. Bruce let out a soft sound of appreciation. "Dude, when did you land her?"

Eric shot him a sharp glare. "I'd keep my eyes off her and my mouth shut if I were you, Bruce," he replied in a quiet tone.

Wanting to keep his job, and knowing the other man knew entirely too much about his leisure activities, Bruce chose discretion over valor. "I'll just bring your check."

Nell stood in front of the mirror and checked carefully for any flyaway strands of hair, and smudges of makeup. It wasn't an act of vanity; she just needed a few moments to process everything. Just as she was about to reapply her lip-gloss it hit her: she was _happy_. She gripped the vanity and took a deep breath, but there it was, happiness. Despite recounting her most painful and humiliating experiences, she felt lighter, as if she'd unknowingly been carrying a terrible weight around. Intellectually, she knew this was true. She had been faithfully avoiding any type of romantic connections for ages, which had spawned her sister's need to write that horribly inaccurate dating profile. Now she had let it all go, and Eric was still sitting there with her. A wave of giddiness rushed through her. She quickly finished her touch-ups and practically skipped back to the table. It was time to start having fun!

Eric smiled as he saw her practically bouncing back to their table. He wasn't sure what was going on in her mind but whatever it was, it made her happy. That was good enough for him. He tried to stand and hold out her chair, but she waved him off with a smile. "We won't be sitting too long I hope. I just thought of something - tonight's a new moon. How are we going to see at the beach?" she asked with a grin.

He chuckled. "I have a flashlight, and I can always build a fire with some driftwood and kelp if we want to stay."

"Eric," she drew out the syllables of his name and made her voice coy, "were you ever a boy scout?"

He raised his eyebrows at this coquettish, flirtatious Nell and grinned. "No, I just spend more time on the beach than off it when I'm not working."

She let out a long sigh but a smile was dancing in her eyes. "I suppose I'll have to get used to near constant sunburn aren't I? I burn like a lobster."

The insinuation that she was willing to make this more than one date sent a shot of adrenaline through his blood that nearly sent him vaulting out of his chair. Thankfully, he was able to gulp down the last of his drink. When it was finished he replied, "I'd always make sure we had enough sunscreen. I'm not about to get a case of skin cancer, and neither are you. Hetty would kill me!"

"Here's the check, and I hope you both come and visit us again soon," Bruce interjected.

Eric pulled out his American Express and got the receipts in order. "Thanks, Bruce."

"You'll get this back in just a minute," the man replied with a huge grin at seeing his cash tip double the normal amount.

Nell's eyes narrowed and she swatted Eric's hand gently. "You over-tipped him!"

He shrugged. "As my mom used to say, _'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'_ That was prevention."

Before she could ask what he was preventing, Bruce came back. "All set. Have a great night, and don't do anything I wouldn't do," he added with a salacious wink in Nell's direction.

Eric held out Nell's chair for her, and they left. Nell felt his hand on her back again and smiled. "I was going to ask what you thought you were preventing, but I think I know. Is he always like that?"

He nodded slightly. "He wouldn't have pestered you while working, but he lives in your neighborhood. The tip is to make sure if he bothers you he'd have to deal with too much trouble."

Her eyebrows came together in confusion. "I don't get it."

"I scribbled a note on the back of the receipt."

"Eric," she said, drawing out his name in a warning.

"Relax. All I said was, _'Marty is watching.'_ He'll know what that means."

Nell sighed in frustration. Part of her wanted to push, to demand that he tell her everything. She sensed that he wasn't trying to be possessive; otherwise, he would have just threatened him with his own reprisals. Instead, he used Deeks, which meant there was more to it than her. She knew that if she started falling back into her old patterns of needing to control everything, they didn't have a prayer. She still wasn't sure she could make a commitment, but she desperately wanted to give this the best chance possible. She didn't want to lose the happy feeling coursing through her. The breeze coming off the ocean had picked up, and she rubbed her arms to ward off a chill. "I didn't bring anything to put over my dress, and the weather report didn't say anything about a strong breeze for tonight."

His hand left her back, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. He didn't pull her closer to keep her warm, but waited, giving her the choice. "We don't have to go to the beach. We can get the gelato and head back if you'd like."

The instant his arm wrapped around her, she leaned into his side. She couldn't remember the last time she'd let herself go and felt like this. Her logic-brain whispered a faint warning, _'don't move too fast,'_ to which her emotional-brain replied, _'relax; let him take care of you.'_ Eric opened the car door for her and she smiled, feeling like a grand lady in one of her treasured books. When he got in himself, she smiled at him brightly. "I don't mind going down to the beach. I don't think I've ever been there on a new moon."

Eric smiled back and turned on the car. "It's nothing life-changing, but I like to just sit in the dark and hear the waves sometimes. Its soothing, especially after a bad day. I have a light and a jacket in the trunk. If we don't hurry, the gelato shop will close. As it is, there might not be the full selection."

"Let's go!"

They pulled up to _N'iceCream_ just in time. Eric ordered two scoops, one of chocolate biscotti one of chocolate hazelnut, on a waffle cone. Nell ordered a cup with two scoops of strawberry cheesecake. The beach was only steps away, so they locked the car and decided to take their treats to the shore. True to his word, Eric was prepared. He took out a lined denim jacket, a high power flashlight, and a thick blanket to sit on. He placed the jacket over her shoulders and handed her his dessert. He kept the flashlight in one hand and somehow managed to hold the blanket and lead Nell at the same time. It didn't take him long to find the perfect spot, and he set it up and helped her sit comfortably. She handed him his gelato, and they sat in a warm safe silence, listening to the waves and enjoying their sweets.

After about ten minutes, Eric spoke. "Are you still cold, Nell?"

A small laugh escaped her lips. "It's a little chilly, but I haven't been truly cold since my last full winter in Illinois."

Despite the darkness, he smiled. "If you catch a chill, I'm a dead man. Do you mind if I put my arm around you?"

A playful, impish quality filled her voice. "Is that your standard request with a girl when you do this?"

He thought seriously for a moment. "Usually, if the girl I take out isn't someone I've met here, I do ask. To be completely honest though, I've never brought a girl I didn't know from the beach to the beach on a first date. I usually find it too personal."

Nell's breath caught in her throat. "Why?"

He shrugged, even though she could barely see him. "Here is where I am most myself. The job doesn't exist, people's expectations of who I am and what I am don't interfere. I'm just Eric Kurt Beale, a guy who loves this ocean and hopes to have everything that most people want out of life."

Seeing that he had finished his dessert, Nell took his right arm and wrapped it around her as she cuddled into his warmth. "Why did you want to bring me here, Eric?"

He closed his eyes and soaked in the feeling of holding her close. Then he took a deep breath and spoke just loud enough for her to hear him over the gentle waves. "You know the part of me not even the people closest to me can know. Sam, you, and I, we're fortunate that we have connections to the outside that are good and strong. We're the lucky ones, but even Sam can't be his whole self with the people he loves most. I don't want to live my life like that. I don't want the woman that I love, or any children that I have, only getting bits and pieces of me. If I had met you on the outside, I would have still ended up feeling this way, but I don't have to hide, and that is a blessing. It's only right that if we do this, I won't go half-way."

Emotions washed over her like the surf coming into the shore. This time, though, none of them were scary or bad; there was only warmth, overwhelming affection, gratitude, and determination filling her heart. She lifted her face off his shoulder and leaned as close as she could until her cheek brushed his and she could find his ear. "Thank you," she whispered.

He pulled her tighter, and they sat there for another half hour, not speaking just, listening to the waves under a new moon. Nell shivered in earnest, and he felt it. "Time to go home, it's late. The fish will be getting worried," he said with a grin she could practically hear.

"I guess," she replied, reluctance oozing in her voice.

He helped her off the blanket and began gathering his things. "My sister is going to kill me," he muttered.

"You never have mentioned her name," Nell said, curiosity clear in her voice.

Pride filled his voice. "Brigitta Elizabeth Beale, but everyone calls her Brigg. I'm sure she'll want to friend you at the very least but I won't let her until you tell me it's okay. She is like a tigress when it comes to women and me, and she has her reasons, but it's not something we have to deal with right now. It's only fair that you know that she's involved with everything in my life, as long as it doesn't involve work or anything you would want kept between us."

Her heart began to race at the thought that he was willing to keep things from the sister he clearly loved above anything else just for her. "I just hope she likes me when we do start to get to know each other."

Eric wrapped his arm around her to lead them to the car. "She will, I know my sister better than anyone. Another thing I should mention is that when she was six months old, she caught meningitis. She lost all of her hearing, but she can speak and read lips, so when you want you can SKYPE."

She narrowly missed slipping on a rock, but his strong arm steadied her. "Tomorrow when you come to fix the pump, come early. I'll make breakfast, and you can start teaching me ASL."

He stopped in his tracks. "Nell -"

"You don't have to, I won't push you like that, and it's only a first date!" she finished for him. "First date or not I will meet your sister one day, and I will not make her do all of the work! Now, let's get to the car before I really do get cold. I still have to call mama and it's getting late."

Eric gently guided her to the car, literally biting his tongue, hoping the sharp pain would prevent him from blurting out a completely inappropriate declaration of love. Neither of them was ready for it, yet in the complete happiness of the moment, the temptation nearly consumed him. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief when it worked. They started back to Nell's place still quiet, but not awkward. Eric felt a rush of fatigue run through him, and given the upheaval and wonder of the day, he wasn't surprised. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio, Nell?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"Is there anything you don't like?"

She shrugged. "Not that I can think of right now. Play anything you like."

Eric had his iPod connected to his stereo and activated his current playlist, and _Lady Antebellum_ came flowing through the speakers. He started singing along without realizing it, but when he pulled to stop at a red light Nell, shocked him by joining in. "You can sing!" he practically shouted over the music.

She turned the music down a bit and giggled. "I might have been in the school choir."

"How many times have we gone to team night and you insisted that there isn't enough alcohol in the world to make you get up there and sing? You have a wonderful voice!"

Nell blushed and was thankful the light turned green. "There _isn't_ enough alcohol in the world to make me go up there alone. Besides, who else is going to drive Kensi and Deeks home? Callen drives Hetty and Sam, and you take a cab, but somehow those two always insist I have to drive them. I think it's because they know if they take a cab, they'll end up in bed together. However, I am a good friend and the designated driver."

"You were singing just now."

"I'm with you, and not singing in front of a crowd of strangers. Believe it or not, I'm not completely invulnerable. I don't like people staring at me," she sighed.

He smiled, but didn't take his eyes off the road. "People stare at what's beautiful, Nell. They can't help that."

The burst of happiness that exploded in her made her eyes tear. She didn't know what to say and when _"American Honey"_ began to play she let the music take over and sang along. Eric joined her on the harmonies, and she realized that he had inadvertently reawakened a passion of hers too long dormant. Her heart fluttered like a humming bird's wings, eagerly waiting what would come next. The traffic was fairly decent and they managed to get back a little before midnight. Eric walked her to her door, and Nell found herself not wanting him to go. She sighed, knowing that he had to; she could see he was beginning to get tired, and he would be back in a few hours anyway.

"Thank you, Eric. I had a wonderful time, even if I did have to drag things along with my horrible stories." The smile on her face was lovely in its serenity and contentment.

"Don't worry about that. I'll have to return the favor myself soon enough. I think I can safely say this might have been my best date ever!" he replied with a matching smile.

"If I didn't know you were one of the worst liars ever I wouldn't believe you," she teased.

He chuckled. "Then I'm glad I am." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the small box. "I completely forgot all about this. I wanted to get you something to say thanks."

Her eyes went wide. "But you already spent so much on the flowers and the food, I can't -"

"This didn't cost me anything. I ran into a friend at the beach who is starting a new business. The flowers were for your anniversary and to tell you how I feel. This is to show my gratitude for your faith in me. Please take it," he whispered.

Her hands trembled as she took the box out of his hand and opened it. A tiny gasp escaped her mouth when she saw the tiny hair clip fashioned out of gold wire, chips of bright green and blue sea glass, and a few sparkly crystal beads. "It's so beautiful!" she said hoarsely. She looked up into his eyes and couldn't contain her joy. She pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you for everything! Thank you for tonight and for just being you!"

He held her, knowing it was absolutely going to kill him to let go, but knowing he had to before he went too far. "You're welcome. Now get inside, you have to call your parents and let them know I tried my best to take care of you. I have to get home and call my very irritated sister who will yell at me for making her stay up past three waiting for me to report that I didn't blow this."

She sighed but let him go. "You tell her that not only did you not screw this date up, you've made me happier than I have been in a very long time, and I didn't even realize it." Then, before she could think about it, she brushed a whisper of a peck on the corner of his mouth. "See you in a few hours; I make a mean stack of chocolate chip pancakes with strawberry syrup."

Eric had to take a very deep breath to get himself back to reality after the feeling of her lips barely touching his skin. Somehow, he managed to hear her, and reply. "I'll be here at around 0900?"

She smiled. "Perfect! Good night."

"Good night."

She disappeared behind her door, leaning up against it when her knees went weak. A joyful burst of laughter sprung from her lips, and she ran to her bed, jumping on it as she had as a child. She grabbed the phone and immediately dialed home before she even slipped her shoes off. Her mother's sleepy voice greeted her. "Nell, sweetie it's 2:00 AM here. We were getting worried precious."

The happiness in her voice was impossible to tone down. "I'm sorry, mama. We just got in. I'm fine, I promise. Eric said I had to tell you and daddy that he did his best to take care of me, and he did!"

"You sound so happy, Nell. I'm so glad you had a nice time," Katie Jones replied, still sleepy but without worry.

"Oh I did, mama! I told him everything, and it was okay."

"Is the boy still with you?" The deep yet mumbling voice of her father came through the phone.

"No, daddy. He's gone home, just as I said he would. He couldn't have been any sweeter, or kinder. He didn't ask me for anything."

"I think I'll like this one, Nell Louise. Now let your mother and I sleep. You can call at a decent time tomorrow and tell us all about it."

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "Yes, daddy. Good night you two, I love you."

"We love you too, baby. I'm so glad you're happy," her mother replied, then hung up.

He stood there until he heard the locks turn. Knowing she was safe, he started running to his car. He drove extra carefully, knowing that he was slightly distracted. It took him a bit longer to get to his place than usual, but the minute he got in, he headed to his computer to call Brigg. Sure enough, the connection went through and he saw her sitting in her room, wearing pajamas and tearing through another pint of _Hagen Dazs._ The minute she saw his face she spoke to the camera. "Well it took you long enough! What happened?"

He couldn't think to sign or speak he had too much joy bursting to get out. So instinct took over letting out a shout of happiness he started jumping up and down like a lunatic. Brigitta could do nothing but laugh and let tears of joy fall down her face. _Finally_, after so many years, she saw her beloved brother perfectly happy. _'Yes,'_ she thought to herself, _'I approve of Nell Jones.'_

Finis


End file.
